Will D Beest
by Nate Grey
Summary: Raven finds she is not alone, while Beast Boy experiences motherhood. COMPLETE.
1. Bundle Bearers

Notes: As usual, "Raven's Reward" comes first, and it wouldn't hurt if you'd read my other Titans fics, either.  For readers of "Broody & the Beast," Shax is back.  

I'm only doing this so I can say I wrote it before they put "Baby" on TV next season (I read they might at some site, forget which just now).

Summary: Raven discovers that she is not alone, while Beast Boy experiences…motherhood.

~…~ are thoughts, ~"…"~ is telepathic speech.

Will D. Beest (Will of the Beast)

A Teen Titans Fanfic by

Nate Grey (XMAN0123@aol.com)

Prologue:  

There was silence in the T-Car.

Robin stifled a yawn as he glanced behind him.

Beast Boy had taken the shape of a cuddly koala and was draped comfortably around Starfire's neck.  Both were asleep.

Beside them, Raven had her eyes closed, but Robin knew better than to assume she was asleep.  More than likely, she was meditating to clear her head.  She often did that after really exhausting fights, in which she'd been forced to rely heavily on her powers.  It was something she simply had to do, for herself and for the team.  Still, Robin often wished there was some way he could help her focus, but so far, being quiet was the only thing that seemed to work.

~"Ice cream,"~ she murmured directly into his head.

Robin tried not to look too startled.  ~"Ice cream helps you focus?  Really?"~

~"Of course not."~  Raven opened her eyes and glanced over at her sleeping teammates.  ~"But they'll be ravenous when they wake up.  You might as well get something neither of them can refuse."~

Robin grinned at her.  ~"I don't suppose this suggestion has anything to do with you having a deep, hidden desire for dairy desserts?"~

Raven smirked back at him.  ~"Perish the thought, oh fearless leader."~

~"Ah.  So then you DON'T want anything when I ask Cyborg to stop?"~

~"I never said that.  After all, since we ARE stopping, and you ARE no doubt treating like you always do, far be it for me to refuse such a generous offer."~

~"One day, Raven, I'm going to make you admit that you actually like ice cream."~

~"Until that day comes, Robin, you'll just have to keep buying my two scoops of vanilla bean."~

Chapter 1: Bundle Bearers

"Are you SURE this is a good idea?  I mean, have you really thought this through?"

"How many times are you going to ask me that?!"

Had the security system been able to hear the two female voices, it would've recognized them as being non-Titans, and therefore, intruders.  From there, it would've taken certain steps to remove them.

Fortunately for them, however, the security system could not hear them, thanks to a rectangular, handheld device that the blonde was holding.  The other woman had her hands full with an oversized basket.

"I just want to be sure.  Once we do this, it changes everything.  For us, and for him."

"Can you honestly tell me you want him to grow up in our world?  No baby should ever have to live through a war."

"Oh, so now he's a baby?  I could've sworn you always called him 'that little monster' or-"

"Does it matter?  With any luck, he won't even remember me."

"You say that like we're not coming back for him!" the blonde cried accusingly.

"Well, maybe we aren't!" the brunette snapped.  "Darkstar said the Mother Box only had enough juice for a round trip, and anything beyond that was too dangerous to even think of trying!"

"I can't believe you're happy about this!  He's just a baby!  He can't help it if you don't like him!"

"Just because I won't cry my eyes out over him being gone doesn't mean this isn't the best thing for him!  You know this is the best chance he has to grow up happy…the best chance he has to grow up at all!  This world is so much safer than ours that it's almost laughable.  I'd be shocked if he ever even got a paper cut."

"Will you at least wake him up and say goodbye?"

The brunette growled a warning.

"Fine!  YOU don't have to say goodbye, but I will!  Just…stand over there where he can't see how much you don't like him.  I want his last memory to be a good one."

The two women traded objects, and the blonde carefully put the basket down on the couch.  She sank to her knees and reached in, carefully drawing back the blankets to reveal a furry little head.  With a sad smile, she carefully traced the baby's cheek with a finger until he yawned and blinked slowly up at her.

"Hey, Fuzzykins," she whispered softly.

The baby grinned upon recognizing her and seized her finger in a chubby fist, cooing delightedly.

"You gotta be a good boy, okay?  Mama and I won't be here with you, but that doesn't mean we're not watching.  You make us proud, little guy."  She leaned over and dropped a tender kiss on his head.  

The baby gurgled contentedly and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes.

"Bye, Fuzzykins.  Love you."  The blonde stood up and sighed.  "Okay, we can go now."

"He will be safer here," the brunette insisted after a moment.  "It's better this way."

"I know.  But I'll miss him so much."

The brunette said nothing as she entered a command into the handheld device.  With a blinding flash, both women were gone, leaving behind no sign that they had ever been there, save for the basket.

* * * * *

"Home sweet home!" Beast Boy crowed as he entered the living room, followed by the other Titans.

"I'll be in room," Raven murmured, retreating with her small container of ice cream in hand.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes and plopped down on the couch.  It was then that he noticed the basket next to him.  "Hey, somebody forget to invite me to the picnic?"

"What picnic?" Cyborg asked just before he caught sight of the basket.  "Weird.  Where'd that come from?"

Beast Boy reached for the basket, but Robin grabbed his hand.  "Don't touch it!" he hissed

"Why not?" Starfire asked.  "Do you not wish to partake of the picnic, Robin?"

"We DO have a lot of enemies," Cyborg reminded her, already scanning the basket with his arm.  "There's no metal in it, and it's not a bomb.  Huh.  Even weirder.  Maybe there actually IS food in it."

"So it's safe," Beast Boy insisted, reaching over again to draw back the white blankets.

A small, furry face with huge yellow eyes peered back at him curiously.

"…that's gotta be the ugliest roast beef sandwich I ever seen," Cyborg said at last.

Starfire gasped and leaned closer.  "It's adorable!" she cooed, tickling the baby's chin and smiling when it gurgled happily.  Then she leaned back and whispered to Robin, "What IS it, exactly???"

"I…don't know," Robin admitted.  "It's a baby, but…a baby what?"

"I vote monkey," Beast Boy said before turning into a huge gorilla.

"Monkeys don't have horns," Cyborg pointed out, tapping the tiny little bone growths protruding from the baby's forehead.  "Or, at least, what will be horns."

But the gorilla had already scooped up the baby and was combing through its fur with a large finger.

"Hey, don't do that!" Cyborg warned.  "We don't know where it came from, and if you play nice with it, it'll imprint on you and-"

"Mama!" the baby giggled, patting the gorilla's face with a furry hand.

"…damn.  Now it'll be heartbroken if we try to get rid of it."

"We cannot abandon him!" Starfire cried, taking the baby from the gorilla.  "He is so small, and furry, and cute.  Like a puppy!  Puppies need good homes and people to take care of them!"

The baby cooed softly and pressed his little hand to Starfire's chin.

She smiled down at him, her green eyes shining with warmth.  "Don't worry, little whatever-you-are.  You're home now."

"Starfire…I know how you feel," Robin said slowly, "but I don't think any of us are exactly model parents.  I mean, we don't even know what it IS yet.  How can we possibly know what it needs to survive?"

"But we have to try, Robin!" Starfire pleaded.  "He likes us already!  You can't send him away!"

"No one's going to send him away.  But…we don't know the first thing about him.  I hate to say it, but he might even be dangerous.  This could be some sort of trap for-"

"If this precious little thing is a trap," Starfire said softly, holding the baby closer, "then I am more than willing to be ensnared by him."

The gorilla sniffed loudly, wiping a tear from its eye before it became Beast Boy again.  "Starfire…that was so beautiful…"

The baby looked up at Starfire and giggled.  "Sta-fi!" it said happily.

Starfire gasped in joy.  "He said my name!!!"  She hugged the baby and bounced it gently.  "Good boy!!!"

"How do we know it's a boy again?" Cyborg asked.

"The note says so," Raven suddenly observed.

Everyone turned to look at her.  "What?!"

"The note.  In the basket?"  When no one replied, she sighed and read it aloud.  

"Dear Teen Titans:

                This is our beloved little baby.  It is no longer safe for him at home, so we have brought him here in hopes that he will be safe.  Please take good care of him and make sure that he grows up big and strong.  We believe you are the best family he could have right now.

Sincerely,

Two Parents."

"Even that doesn't tell us what he is," Cyborg remarked.  "So how do we find out?"

"I could keep trying different animals, see which one he likes best," Beast Boy suggested.

"That won't work," Raven replied.  "He's just a baby.  He'll like anything that has fur like he does."

"He's no normal baby," Robin replied. "I can't tell how old he is, but he seems way too smart.  No baby learns names that fast."

"Maybe he's a genetic experiment and has a brain twice the normal size."

"…actually, that would explain why we can't figure out what he is," Robin agreed.

"Oh?  I was thinking it probably had more to do with this," Raven answered, gently drawing the baby's foot out of the blanket.  There was a series of black numbers etched on the sole.

"How do you DO that?!" Beast Boy asked in amazement.

"I must be psychic," Raven quipped dryly.  "At any rate, we should probably put him to bed.  Just remember that you all wanted to keep him when he needs changing and feeding.  Because I'm not doing any of it."

"Aw, c'mon, Raven," Beast Boy wheedled.  "Are you saying just looking at the little guy doesn't spark that warm, maternal instinct deep down inside you?"

"All he 'sparks' in me is a thankfulness that Shax virtually takes care of himself.  Which reminds me, I was in the middle of sharing my ice cream with him when you all started arguing."  With that, she headed back to her room.

"Uh…so we're keeping him?" Beast Boy asked excitedly.

"Well, it's not like we can put him out on the street."  Robin smiled faintly as he tickled the baby's foot.  "And he IS kinda cute…"

"It's official!  We're with child!" Beast Boy cheered, turning into a kangaroo that hopped around the room.

"Yeah, yeah, that's just great," Cyborg said quickly.  "But until I can build him a bed, where will he sleep?  And what will he eat?"

"He seemed to like the basket okay," Robin noted.

"He will sleep with me," Starfire said, softly kissing the little hand that kept reaching for her face.

"…not even gonna touch it," Cyborg replied.  "What about food?"

"Monkey or not, I'm betting he'd like fruit," Robin added.  

"Hey, I know!" Beast Boy cried.  "I could try turning into a mother with milk!"

"…oh, you have crossed a very thin line, my little green friend," Cyborg murmured softly.

"No, really!  It'd be a challenge!  I've never tried female animals before!"

"That's because you're a boy," Robin answered slowly.

"Yeah.  Beast BOY.  Not Babe.  See how it works?" Cyborg added.

"I'm telling you, I can do this!" Beast Boy insisted.  "It'll take some practice, but I bet I could really be his mother!"

"But Starfire's his mom."

"No, she isn't!  She's 'Sta-fi' and I'm 'Mama'!  You heard the little guy!"

"You are getting way too into this for me," Cyborg decided.  "I'm gonna get started on a better bed for him.  And if I come back to find you trying to breastfeed the kid…it's gonna be on."

* * * * *

It wasn't that Raven hated the baby.  The less emotional attachments she had, the better off they all were.  She would let the other Titans look after the little guy.  In the meantime, she would focus on her meditation and on keeping her emotions in check.  Just being near a baby was likely to be bad news for her.

She smiled faintly at her raven, Shax, who was perched atop her desk.  "At least I know you'll never wake me up by crying in the middle of the night."

Shax squawked loudly and walked across the desk, stopping in front of her hairbrush.  He cawed even louder and looked at Raven expectantly.

It was much more difficult to read the minds of animals, but Raven knew at once that something was wrong.  "What is it, Shax?  What are you trying to tell me?"  She moved to the desk and started to pick up the brush, but stopped herself.

It had been moved exactly three centimeters to the left, she realized with a start.  She always kept it in exactly the same place on her desk.

"Someone's been in my room."  But surely not one of the other Titans?  Beast Boy and Cyborg had learned their lesson from the last time, so who would…?  "Maybe…it wasn't a Titan."

Shax cawed once.

"I'm right.  It was no one that lives here.  Did you see anything?"

The raven looked at her helplessly.  He flew over to her mirror, tapped it once with his beak, and then flew to Raven's shoulder, tapping it once.

"I know you're trying to tell me something, but…are you saying I'm the one that moved it?"

Shax cawed in frustration and flew back to the mirror.

"Yes, I know.  It's a portal to my mind.  What does that have to do with….unless…"  Raven's face paled.  "Did…something come out again?"

Shax shook his head and flew to the window.

"They came through the window, without setting off any alarms.  Was it…human?"

The raven shook his head again and flew back to the mirror.

"Then…it LOOKED like something from my mirror?" she guessed.

Shax cawed and nodded.

"Oh no.  The last thing I need is one of my father's minions going through my things.  What else could possibly go wrong tonight?"

* * * * *

The docks were completely deserted, save for one medium-sized, athletic figure dressed in a brown, tattered cloak.  The figure did not move, and its eyes stayed locked on Titans Tower.

"Soon," it whispered in a deep, gravelly voice.  "Soon we will meet for the first time, Seedling."

It raised a single, violet hair in its fingers and smiled grimly.  "Very soon.  I shall find out what it is he sees in you…and if I need to destroy it."

Next Time: Beast Boy bonds with the baby, and someone calls Raven out.

Just so you guys know, the final chapter of "Titans Revealed" is up.  I posted it during a storm, so maybe you wouldn't have been notified.  That happened with the last chapter of "Broody," too.  Hmm…

Anyhow, what do you think so far?  Keep in mind Robin may not be correct about the baby's smarts…


	2. Oh, Brother

Notes: I decided to address a review I got asking why Cyborg would build a crib instead of buying one.

Chapter 2: Oh, Brother

Raven decided not to tell the other Titans about their late-night intruder.  Whatever the creature had come for, it had only been interested in her room, and she didn't think it was anyone else's concern.

This turned out to be a very good idea, as everyone else was focused on the new arrival.  It was getting to the point where Raven couldn't even look somewhere without being reminded of the baby.  There were little tufts of fur on the floor, and as she made her way to the kitchen, Raven silently hoped someone had had the common sense to keep the baby out of there.

But it was not to be.  The first thing she saw was a huge, green gorilla sitting at the end of the table.  Then she spotted the odd harness it wore on its chest, and the small, furry head poking out of said harness.  The only real relief was that the gorilla was clearly male.

"Still haven't mastered female animals?" she asked mildly.

The gorilla startled her by opening his mouth and replying, "Nope, but I learned to do this."

"Oh, joy.  Now you can tell those awful jokes no matter what you are."  Raven turned away to fix her tea.

"HE likes my jokes," the gorilla muttered.

"Beast Boy, you can't think he knows what you're saying?"

"Sure he does!  He's really smart!  Listen to this!  Who's the leader, kiddo?  Leeee-der?"

"Wabin!" the baby replied, clapping his little hands.

"See?!  He's a prodigy, I'm telling you!"

Raven sighed.  "So he can say our names.  It's not like he just learned them."

"What are you talking about?  Of course he did!"

"No, he didn't."  Raven lowered her voice.  "He's not saying our names because he hears them.  He's saying them because he remembers them."

"…what?"

"Beast Boy, he's seen us before.  At least, he's been around a group of Titans before.  That's how he knows us…and it's probably who brought him here."

"How is that even possible?"

Raven shrugged.  "Time travel, possibly.  All I know for sure is when I checked out the basket he came in for psychic residue, I picked up someone familiar.  Vaguely, anyway."

"Who?"

"Supergirl.  At least, an alternate version of her.  The pattern was slightly off, but I could tell it was her.  She must be one of the two 'parents' that brought him, though I doubt they're related."

The gorilla stared at her.  "You know you sound crazy, right?"

"What's crazier: my theory, or a genius animal baby?"

"…okay, so say I believe you.  Why haven't you said anything to the others?"

"Because I don't want Cyborg trying to build his own time machine, for one."

The gorilla grinned.  "I knew it!  You don't wanna send the little tyke back!  You LIKE him!"

"What I like is our world not collapsing on itself.  There's no telling how that one visit will effect our time stream.  Just his being here might cause a multitude of unlikely events.  But we can't risk damaging time any further.  It's best we just keep him here…and keep our mouths shut.  Understand?"

"Yeah, okay.  But only if you give him a kiss!"  The gorilla held out the baby expectantly.

Raven glared at him, but she could tell he was not going to relent.  With a sigh, she pressed a finger to her lips, and then laid it gently on the baby's head.  "There.  Happy?"

"It's a start.  Next time you'll have to hold him for a whole minute," the gorilla threatened with a grin.

* * * * *

"Presenting…THE T-CRIB!!!" Cyborg shouted in an overly dramatic voice.

"Um…okay," Robin murmured, staring at the odd contraption before him.  "What does it do?"

"I'm glad you asked, Robin!  To demonstrate the T-Crib's state-of-the-art design, I'll need some lovely assistance.  Lovely assistant?"

Starfire punched the crib experimentally a few times.  She was not, of course, using her full strength, as her fists bounced back each time.

"The T-Crib is constructed of super baby-safe rubber, soft yet firm to keep our bouncing baby boy in!  BUT THERE'S MORE!!!  Please do continue, lovely assistant."

Next, Starfire (to Robin's horror) took out some of her infamous fuzzy, blue food and placed it inside the crib.  Instantly, there came the sound of gas escaping, even as a display screen slid out of Cyborg's arm.  "Warning: Presence of Foreign Waste Products Detected.  Commencing Air Sanitization."

"And how does the T-Crib smell now, lovely assistant?" Cyborg chuckled, elbowing Robin.

Starefire sniffed the crib and gasped.  "Like a refreshing, cool breeze!"

"Yes!  The T-Crib comes with automatic air fresheners.  BUT THERE'S MORE!!!"

Starfire scrunched up her face and began to make little whiny noises.  Instantly, three robot arms extended from the headboard: one holding a teddy bear, another holding a bottle of milk, while the last (fitted with a soft glove) began to pat her head soothingly.

"The T-Crib also comes with a baby-readiness system, able to take care of all our little tyke's needs…except changing, I'm still working on that…"

"Impressive," Robin admitted.  "But…wouldn't it have been easier to just buy a crib?"

"Does a store-bought crib come with THIS?!" Cyborg demanded, pressing a button on his arm.

A panel in the headboard slid open, and a stuffed doll of Raven slid out.  "Beware boogeyman and monsters under the bed," said a hidden speaker in a remarkable likeness of her voice, "for Raven protects this crib."  The doll's eyes flashed bright red.

"…she's going to kill you," Robin commented.

"Ah, she'll never come anywhere near the T-Crib, anyway.  How else is he gonna get to know her?"

"I guess you have a point.  It's not like we could take him on a mission."

Cyborg's eyes gleamed.  "Yeah…right…"

Robin looked worried.  "Oh no.  NO, Cyborg!  He cannot go-"

"Not YET, anyway."

Robin sighed.  "Me and my big mouth."

* * * * *

Much to Robin's regret, Cyborg lived up to his promise by the time the next crime was reported.

Beast Boy, still in gorilla form, now wore a reinforced harness that kept the baby attached snugly to his back.

"This is insane!" Robin insisted.  "You can't take the baby into a fight!  What if he got hurt?!"  
  


"Well, we can't leave him here alone!" the gorilla snapped.

"Then why can't one of us just stay here with him?!"

Raven was actually even considering volunteering herself for the task, just to shut them up.

"All we know is that a disturbance was reported at the new construction site downtown.  It might be something major, so everyone should go, just in case," Cyborg pointed out.

"Everyone BUT him!" Robin added firmly, pointing at the baby.  "He can't even defend himself!"

"We will defend him!" Starfire replied confidently.

"And how are you going to stop the bad guy if you're too busy protecting the baby?" Robin demanded.  "What if it's Plasmus?  He'll split up and take us all on separately.  He might even make one blob specifically to attack the baby!"

Starfire gasped at such a horrible image and covered the baby's ears.  "Robin!!!"

"I'm sorry, Star, but I just don't want to see him get hurt."

Raven sighed.  "I have an idea.  Why don't all of you just stand around arguing while I actually do something useful, like stop a crime already in progress.  I'll call if I need help."  With that, she phased through the floor and vanished.

* * * * *

The construction site was dark, still, and full of places to hide.  Never a good combination if you didn't know what you were up against.  And since Raven's telepathy had picked up less than nothing, she was starting to think the criminal had already moved on.  But even then, there should've been fading psychic imprints.  Yet, she found nothing.

And that was when she realized it was a trap.

"I did not believe you would come alone," said a voice directly behind her.  "But this will make things much easier.  The business I have with you is far too personal to allow interference."

"You say that," Raven murmured slowly as she turned around, "like you know me."  Her eyes widened, and she swallowed noisily.

"No, I do not, Raven," he confessed, his green eyes narrowing.  "But I plan to change that right now."  He took a step forward.

"Stay BACK!" she shouted, moving away from him.

He stopped.  "I know my appearance must be alarming-"

"That is a HUGE understatement," she snapped angrily.  "You show up here, looking like…HIM…and expect me to just listen to you?!"

"You better than anyone should know that we cannot chose our parents…particularly our father."

"What do you…oh no," Raven whispered.  "Not again…"

He blinked, and this time she could make up the extra pair of eyes just above the expected ones.  She had missed them at first, as they were shut tightly and seemed like little more than wrinkles on his forehead.  His skin and hair were shockingly white, making him resemble a living skeleton.  In fact, save for his size and color, he was an exact replica of her father.

"Obviously, you fared much better in the suppression of his taint," he commented softly.  "I, on the other hand, have been clearly marked from birth with his accursed features.  I will probably never find out what my true face would've been.  But I did not come here to speak of that."  

"You were the one in my room," Raven said accusingly.

He nodded.  "Yes.  I was looking for you.  When I saw your mirror—glanced into your mind—I knew I had to meet you.  I thought it amazing that so much of your mind is riddled with his influence, yet you yourself can suppress his bloodlust."

"I had help and years of practice."  Raven continued to stare at him.  "So what do you want?"

"To destroy Trigon's evil, so that no one else may suffer as we have.  But I will need your help to do that."

"It's not that simple," she replied at once.  "Even if you are stronger than me—which I doubt if you can't help looking like that—our combined power wouldn't be enough.  Anyway, I don't trust you."

"Nor did I expect you to," he answered.  "But there is one way to satisfy your curiosity and further my plans."  With that, he suddenly backhanded her across the face, sending Raven sprawling in the dirt.

Raven had absolutely no warning of the hit, and there had been literally no time to dodge it.  She tasted blood as she sat up, and was surprised when she found him waiting for her to rise.  "What was that?!"

"You wish to know how strong I am.  I wish the same of you.  It is only natural that we fight, Seedling."

Her eyes narrowed.  "Don't call me that.  Ever."

"Deny it all you like.  We share the same father, and that makes us kin.  I suspect even our powers are similar enough to prove that."

Raven got up, pressing her hand to her throbbing cheek.  "You're going to wish you hadn't done that."

"There are many things I regret in my life, Raven," he replied.  "Striking you is not one of them."

"Not yet, it isn't," she whispered, raising her hands.  A steel girder rose up behind her, cloaked in dark energy.

"If that is the extent of your telekinetic power, you will sorely regret agreeing to this challenge."  

Raven was forced to agree as her hold over the girder suddenly vanished, and she was scrambling out of the way as it crashed down beside her.  "How did he…?!"

"As you said, 'I had help and years of practice,' Raven."  He began to approach her.  "Let us continue."

Raven quickly got to her feet.  She instantly dismissed the idea of calling the Titans.  Something told her this stranger wanted her all to himself.  She wasn't even sure if he could cut off her telepathy, too.  She would just have to fight him and find out what he was capable of.

After all, since he wanted her help, it wasn't like he would kill her.  At least, that was what she hoped.

* * * * *

Starfire winced and continued to bounce the wailing baby in her lap.  "I have never heard him cry so loudly or for so long!" she shouted to Robin.

As his ears were plugged, Robin didn't hear a word she said, but he was able to read her lips.  "We've tried everything!  What could he possibly want?!"

Beast Boy (who was becoming very familiar with his gorilla form) continued to make funny faces for the baby, but even that did no good.  "I give up," he sighed.  "If he doesn't want food, changing, or attention, what else is there?"

Cyborg looked thoughtful.  "Raven hasn't checked in, and she's almost been gone an hour.  Should we go see if she needs help?"

"Nah, she wanted to go solo.  Interrupting would just get us yelled at."

Cyborg began to point out that if Raven was in a tough fight, there might not be time to call for help.  Before he could, though, the baby's screams went up another notch and shorted out half his systems.  "Look, I like the kid, but the Tower can't take much more of this.  Either figure out what he wants or take him for a VERY long walk."  He turned and limped off to his room.

"It is almost as if he is trying to tell us that something is wrong," Starfire murmured, stroking the baby's head gently, and not realizing how close to the truth she was.

* * * * *

Raven was not in the habit of getting hit in order to learn things about her opponents.  However, that was exactly how she'd learned nearly everything she knew about the way her so-called brother fought.

First and foremost, he was very strong, but not superhumanly so.  She imagined he could wrestle most of Beast Boy's forms to the ground, but might lose an arm-wrestling match to Cyborg.  Which made him stronger than her.

He was also either very fast, or had mastered teleportation to the point that he just seemed to be anywhere instantly.  Which made him faster than her.

He could definitely cancel out her telekinesis, but she wasn't really sure how he'd done it.  Either his mental prowess exceeded her own, or he had some natural ability (most likely in his accursed blood) that protected him from her, as it would've with her father.  Which technically made him more experienced than her.

Which all led up to Raven beginning to think that she was severely outclassed.  But, as she had hoped, he didn't seem to be trying to kill her.  At the same time, he was only pulling his punches so much.  While Raven would walk away from this, she would remember (and regret) this fight the next morning, and perhaps several after that.

It almost seemed like he was showing off just for the sake of embarrassing her.  But not once during their fight had he gloated or bragged.  He appeared to be very serious about beating her to a pulp…which, in some odd way, she had to respect.  

Then, without warning, he stopped.

"You are not fighting at your best, Raven.  This is unacceptable."

"And what are you going to do about it?" she spat, getting unsteadily to her feet.

He sighed.  "I suppose it is our being related that distracts you.  Next time, I will have to approach you in a different form."

"Next time?!" she cried in dismay.  "WHAT other form?!"

He shook his head.  "We will meet again, after you have healed.  I hope you are both mentally and emotionally prepared for that day, Raven."  As if noticing her condition for the first time, he added, "Do you wish me to escort you home?"  

She glared at him.  "I'll manage…whatever your name is."

"I am known as Sylvan.  Until next we meet, Seedling."  He vanished before she could protest.

Raven sighed wearily.  "Why can't I have one normal relative?!"

* * * * *

"At least he has quieted down a little," Starfire noted, trying to stay positive.

"Yeah," Beast Boy agreed after a moment, kissing the whimpering baby's head absently.  "But I wish I knew what made him so fussy all night.  If Raven were here, maybe she could read his mind."

Seconds later, Raven phased through the floor, covered in dirt and bruises.

"Raven!  What happened?!" Starfire cried in alarm, rushing over to her friend.

"Ambush," Raven muttered.  "I handled it."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."  She noticed the frown on the baby's face.  "What's with him?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Beast Boy replied, holding the baby out to her.

Upon seeing Raven, all traces of discomfort vanished, and the baby cooed and reached for her.

"I don't believe it!" Beast Boy whispered in shock.

Raven closed her eyes and carefully opened the baby's mind.  As she'd suspected, his thoughts were those of an older child, and therefore made a lot more sense than they should've.  When she found the reason for the baby's upset, she decided at once not to share it with the others.

"He's just cranky.  See you in the morning."

"But, Raven…" Starfire began, watching as the baby continued to reach.  "I think he wants to go to you."

Raven shot her a withering glance.  "And?"

"Hey, he's been crying ALL night, and if you're the only one he wants, I think you need to open those arms, missy," Beast Boy commanded.

Glaring at him, Raven grudgingly held out her arms.  "Fine, give him to me."

The baby smiled as he was passed to Raven, and immediately began to pat her cheeks gently with his chubby hands.

Raven frowned at him.  "Why do you want me?"

As if answering, the baby replied, "Nana!"

"…what?"

"Nana!" the baby repeated happily.  

"No.  I am NOT your-"

"Even if you aren't, that's what he's going to call you," Beast Boy pointed out.  "I think it's cute."

"Sure you would, Mama," Raven snapped.

"He only gives us names because he likes us," Starfire said.  "Today he called Cyborg 'Wobo' or something similar.  I think we should call him Fuzzy!"  

"I think I like Cyborg better," Beast Boy joked, but no one laughed.

Raven looked distinctly uncomfortable as Fuzzy closed his eyes and pressed his little face into the curve of her neck.  "What is he doing?"

"Catching a nap on your neck.  Probably not a good idea to wake him.  He might still have a few good wails left in him."

"But…he can't!  I need to shower and-"

"All he knows is that your neck is warm and soft.  Until that changes, you're the designated pillow."  Beast Boy yawned and walked off.  "I'm going to bed.  Wake me when he gets hungry."

"Starfire, can't you take him?" Raven pleaded.

"But he wanted you," Starfire insisted, looking somewhat jealous.

"But I don't want HIM…at least, not right now," she said quickly.  "Anyway, he's asleep now, and I still need to shower…and meditate on some things."

Starfire finally relented and took the sleeping Fuzzy.  "You can't keep hiding from him, Raven.  He's becoming attached to you."

"The last thing I need right now is another attachment," Raven muttered as she drifted off to her room.

Starfire didn't hear her; she was staring at Fuzzy.  "You were trying to warn us that Raven was in danger, weren't you?" she whispered.  "Is that why you cried?"

Fuzzy burped in his sleep.

She smiled and kissed the top of his head.  "Thank you for trying to keep her safe.  She would do the same for you…I think."

* * * * *

Next Time: Raven reflects on her fight with Sylvan, and the Titans have to deal with Dr. Light—and Overload—at the same time.


	3. The Doctor is Out

Note: I have confirmation from Animation Insider's Titans webpage that the Wildebeest in the upcoming second season will be a teenager.  That works out great for me, since I didn't want him to be the same as the one here.  

Warning: There is death, but all the Titans come out of it intact.

Chapter 3: The Doctor is Out

Raven winced as she carefully turned the pages of one of her ancient spellbooks.  She had little doubt that the spells would be effective against Sylvan, as many of them had been used on her when she was very young and unable to control her father's influence.  It was one of the many useful items that Azar had passed on to her, both knowing that she would one day leave Azarath for good.

The problem, however, was that none of the wounds that Sylvan had given her seemed to be healing quickly.  He had only struck joints that would ache when she moved: her neck, wrists, elbows, and the backs of her knees.  Daily tasks such as brushing her teeth would've become impossible, if not for her telekinesis.  Despite that, Raven knew that he had been holding back.  She was more afraid of what he hadn't used on her…and the "other form" that he'd promised to use the next time they met.

Beast Boy had asked more than once why she didn't use her "instant healing trick" on herself.  Raven had been too annoyed (the wounds were keeping her in a bad mood) to explain that she healed by absorbing another person's pain into her own body.  Naturally, she couldn't use it on herself.  But the more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense that Sylvan was probably the only one who could heal her.  He had inflicted the wounds, after all, and shared her other powers.  It was very likely that he could also heal her, at least, if not anyone else.  Of course, she had no way of avoiding another fight if she did seek him out, so that wasn't really an option.

Starfire had been nice enough to offer some Tamaranean healing techniques, though they did little or no good.  Many merely took Raven's mind off the pain for a while, but never actually did anything to lessen it.  She was quickly beginning to understand why Starfire was always so cheerful: her people apparently tended to downplay anything they considered bad and focus on the good things in life.

Perhaps the only good thing that came from her being wounded was that no one asked her to look after the baby.  She actually could use the excuse that she might've dropped him, as her arms seemed to hurt the worst.  Thankfully, the baby never wanted to go to her again, and Raven decided that he'd only wanted her before to make sure she was okay.  She was still unsure how he'd known she was in danger, but eventually chalked it up to enhanced pack logic.  He would've done the same for any other Titan…at least, that's what she assumed.

* * * * *

"C'mon, Wildy!" Beast Boy coaxed from the other end of the couch.  "You can do it!"

Teetering unsteadily, the baby slowly made his way to his 'mother,' hanging onto the couch for support.  He needn't have bothered, as Starfire's hands were right behind him every step of the way.

Beast Boy grinned as the baby finally stumbled into his arms.  "Good boy, Wildy!  Once you learn how to run, we won't even need Cy's harness anymore!"

"I thought we agreed he wouldn't accompany us until he got bigger?" Starfire asked with concern.

"Well…he IS bigger.  He's learning to walk!"

"Do not attempt to lie to me, Beast Boy," she said sternly.  "You know very well that Robin has been measuring him every day.  Fuzzy has not grown at all."

"But…maybe if he got out of the Tower once in a while, he WOULD get bigger.  I bet he just needs things that can only be found out there: fresh air, sunshine, a criminal butt to kick…"

"He is too young," Starfire insisted.  "What if he got hurt?"

"Aw, he's tough!" Beast Boy protested.  "He never cries when he falls, like those wimpy babies!"

"Babies cry to communicate.  Fuzzy does the same…just not as often."

"Cuz he's a macho man-imal!  Ain't that right, champ?"

Wildy gurgled happily and nibbled on Beast Boy's finger.

Just then, Robin burst into the room, followed by Cyborg.  "Move, guys!  Dr. Light's loose!"

Beast Boy blinked in surprise.  "I thought Raven put his lights out?  Permanently?"

"Obviously, he got better!  C'mon!"

"But…what about Fuzzy?" Starfire asked, cuddling the baby.  "It will be very dangerous for him…"

"Maybe we could leave him home with Ra-" Cyborg began, but then caught Robin's eye.  "Um…or drop him off at the nearest kennel?"

"Raven doesn't like him, but she's not just gonna let him choke on something, either!" Beast Boy snapped.

"You'd have to get her to come out of her room first," Robin replied.  "Which she hasn't done in days.  And we don't really have time to debate this.  I guess…he'll have to come with us."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Beast Boy swore, raising his right hand.  "Scout's honor!"

"You're not a scout, you're the random woodland creature they run from," Cyborg reminded him.

"Yeah, well, you know what I mean!" he exclaimed, taking the baby back from Starfire.  "Robin's right.  We're already at a disadvantage without Raven, so no one else can afford to stay home.  She's probably the one he wants revenge against, so it's better she stay here."

"I was more thinking she wouldn't be there to freak him out just by looking at him, but that's true, too," Cyborg agreed.

* * * * *

Raven had fallen into a restless sleep when a particularly strong breeze eased her window open.

At once, her raven Shax flew over to the windowsill to investigate.  Finding nothing odd after a few moments, he nevertheless took to the air to alert his mistress of the open window.

Before he could get far, a bone-white, clawed hand closed firmly around him.

"Keep your counsel, brother raven," Sylvan advised softly as he stepped silently into the bedroom.  "I have matters to discuss with your owner."  He thrust his hand out the window and released the bird.  The instant his hand had drawn back inside, the window shut securely.

In a whirl of cloaks, the siblings were suddenly at each other's throats.  Raven's hand was closed around Sylvan's neck and crackling with dark energy, while his clawed fingertips rested precariously against her jugular vein.

"Raven," he murmured carefully, "I did not come here to fight you."

"So is it my turn to beat you up?" she spat.

"We both know I could easily cancel out your powers if I wished.  Why, then, have I not done so?"

"Don't know, don't care.  All I know is you're trespassing and I REALLY don't like you.  Just give me a reason."

Sensing they were getting nowhere fast, Sylvan let his claws fall away from her neck.  "Raven.  Please.  I have come only to help you."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe that."

He sighed.  "I have been honest with you since the moment we met.  I may not have told you everything to start with, but I have never lied to you."

"And you think that makes it okay that you beat me up?"

"I already explained why I needed to see the extent of your power.  I have held back so far.  Our sire would not."

Raven frowned and released him, sitting heavily on her bed.

At once, Sylvan knelt before her and placed his hand lightly on her knee.  

Raven held in a gasp as warmth rushed through her leg, focusing on the wound behind her knee.  She could actually feel the ache fading into nothingness.  "Have you ever met him?" she asked softly as Sylvan moved to her other knee.

"Yes," he admitted with a frown.  "After I was born, my mother was very ill.  A few days later, Father came for me, and rather than see us both destroyed in the struggle, she allowed him to take me to his home dimension, in which we were both later sealed, though he managed to keep my existence hidden."

"He raised you?" Raven asked in surprise.

"For a few years, yes.  I believe the time was equivalent to seven Earth years, anyway.  It's difficult to be sure.  At any rate, the more he taught me, the more I became convinced that we were not the same.  I began to long for my mother, and he clearly had no intention of ever returning me to her.  But even with all he had taught me, I could not hope to match him in strength.  So I started searching for another means to escape him.  Then, I found it.  Father once—and only once—let it slip that your mother was the designated guardian of the dimension in which he resided.  When I learned that it was possible for his mates to survive—and more importantly, that I was not the only product of such an ill-fated union—I devised a plan to escape.  Amazingly, when she learned of my existence, your mother offered to help me do so."

"How?"

Sylvan smiled.  "She broke the sole rule of her office and actually set foot into the forbidden dimension.  As soon as she did so, Father sensed it and came running.  He did not think it odd for me to accompany him, as I was never too far from his watchful eye.  However, just when he was about to hurl himself at your mother and through the gates to his freedom, I struck."

"You attacked him?" Raven whispered in disbelief.

"Yes.  As I said, he was much stronger than I.  But, having surprised him, and with his being distracted by the open gate, I managed to damage him enough to slip past and escape.  The instant I was free, your mother once again sealed the gate.  I have not seen him since, save for in my nightmares."

"Then you came here?" Raven guessed.

"No.  First, I went home to my mother.  She was, as I'd hoped, still alive.  Her illness remained, however, so she spent the rest of her life teaching me all that I would need to hold back my father's influence.  Of course, having been exposed to him for so long, there was only so much control over it I could gain."

"Was your mother human?" 

Sylvan shook his head.  "She was what Earthlings of old might have called a forest nymph.  Part of my power—all of it that contains his influence, in fact—comes from her.  I do not like to use it, as it weakens my will and allows his taint to come forward."

"Was that what you meant by your…other form?"

He nodded and tapped the closed pair of eyes above his open ones.  "When these eyes open, the ones below them close, signifying that he has taken over my mind.  Even then, I still have some control.  They were open the day I struck him down and escaped—they had been nearly the whole time I was with him."

Raven remained silent as she tested her arms and legs.  Finding them totally healed, she looked up at Sylvan, suddenly ashamed of her mistrust.  "I'm sorry.  And thank you."

"Don't be sorry.  Only a fool would blindly trust this face."  He moved to her window, opened it, and paused.  "Go to your friends, Raven.  They will have need of you this night."

"How do you-" she began, but he had already vanished by that point.  Frowning, she moved to window and extended her hand, sighing in relief when Shax came to perch on her finger.  "Looks like you're on guard duty again, boy," Raven murmured, stroking the bird's back.  "This could take a while."

* * * * *

"Hold it right there, Light!" Robin shouted as the Titans closed in.  "You're surrounded!  Give up and we'll go easy on you!"

Dr. Light remained standing in the middle of the deserted street, unresponsive and totally motionless.

"…I have to say, I expected him to put up a better fight," Beast Boy whispered.

"You're telling me," Cyborg replied.  "I don't even get to try my upgraded sonic cannon."

Robin frowned as he got even closer.  From where he stood, the doctor's eyes and face were blank.  "Dr. Light?  Can you hear me?"  Hesitantly, he took a step closer and waved his hand before Dr. Light's face.

Nothing.

"I do not understand," Starfire said.  "Why were we notified if he has done nothing wrong?"

"Breaking out of jail was wrong," Cyborg reminded her.  "But I don't see how he pulled it off, if he's been like this the whole time."

"Comatose or not, we have to take him in," Robin insisted, reaching for the doctor's arms.

Raven suddenly appeared a yard away.  "It's a trap!" she cried.

Robin's head whipped around, but before he could open his mouth to reply, he and the other nearby Titans vanished into a rapidly expanding ball of light.

Raven ducked down and shielded her face with her cloak as the roar of the explosion hit her.  The resulting winds whipped at her body, but she managed to stay upright.  When the noise and light faded, she slowly lowered her arm and gasped.

Clearly, Dr. Light had been waiting for the Titans to get close enough and drop their guards.  Raven had unknowingly provided the perfect distraction herself.  The Titans were all out cold.  Dr. Light stood in their midst, his black bodysuit still crackling with energy.

Before she could even begin to put together a plan of attack, something else caught Raven's attention.  Beast Boy had somehow managed to land on his chest, perhaps instinctively turning so he wouldn't land on Wildy.  Now, however, perhaps sensing the danger or just upset at the jarring impact of the fall, the baby began to wail and scream in protest.

Dr. Light's empty eyes shifted to the source of the sound, and with no hesitation at all, he aimed his white gloved hand at the baby.  The glove pulsed as it began to gather the necessary power for the shot.

Raven was moving before she even realized it.  She phased into the street and re-emerged in front of Dr. Light just as he fired.  The blast sailed harmlessly into the dark folds on her cloak.  Even when the unexpected jolt of electricity came a few seconds later, Raven barely felt it.  But then, she barely felt anything but seething rage at the moment.  It was one thing to attack her teammates, who could more or less roll with the punches.  But the baby was absolutely defenseless and posed no threat to Dr. Light.  

She could feel her power growing with her rage, and soon she was towering over Dr. Light, snarling and hissing like a cornered animal.

Dr. Light stared up at her with no sign of fear—or anything else—in his eyes.  Then, for some strange reason, a smile spread across his face, and he quickly brought his hands together in a loud clap.

At first, Raven thought the man was just insane.  But that was when the combined wave of light, sound, and electricity slammed into her.  It was as if someone had turned a floodlight on her very soul and then trapped it into an electric chair.  Soon, the only thing Raven was aware of was blinding, excruciating pain racing through every part of her body.  She dropped to the ground like a stone and did not move again.

Dr. Light's mysterious smile did not fade, even as what seemed to be a second head, composed of pure electricity, formed on his neck.

"Titans can beat Light and Overload apart," it chuckled.  "But no one can beat Flash Light!"

As one, the two threw their heads back and laughed.  Overload's was more of a deep roar, while Dr. Light's was giddy, manic, and even a bit frightening.

They were so caught up in their victory, that neither of them noticed the enormous, growing shadow behind them until it eclipsed the light they were radiating completely.

"Bad men hurt Nana!" growled a new voice.

Flash Light stopped laughing at once and spun around.

"NO ONE HURT NANA!!!"

The last thing Flash Light saw was a huge, hairy brown fist headed straight for him.

* * * * *

None of the Titans had any idea how they'd gotten back to the Tower.  It was quickly agreed upon by all that a) Raven had whooped Dr. Light's butt good (again), b) she'd taken them all home afterwards, and c) Wildy had hit his first growth spurt, as his tiny little bone growths were now full-fledged, pale yellow horns.

Raven alone knew for certain that she had not defeated Dr. Light.  After that last incredible blast, she had none nothing more until she woke up in her own bed, aching and confused.  At the time she'd been knocked out, only the baby had been awake, and surely HE hadn't beaten Light.

But then she had checked the police reports the next morning, and was more than a little surprised to find that Dr. Arthur Light, super villain, was very much dead.  At least, police believed him to be so.  They had only been able to find remnants of his body and costume at the scene, and most of them were decorated by tiny tufts of brown hair.  The first policeman on the scene, Captain Jeremy Banter, was quoted as saying something had most definitely "squished that boy good."

Raven did not mention any of that to the other Titans.  She did, however, immediately volunteer to take out the trash herself.  Especially when Beast Boy confirmed that Wildy had gotten into some bad-smelling tomato sauce the previous night.

* * * * *

Next Time: In the middle of a battle with Mad Mod and his very well-behaved students, Sylvan challenges Raven again.  Meanwhile, Slade takes an interest in Dr. Light's murder and begins to put the pieces together…

Reviews!

Blackheart Syaoran

Actually, the "little fuzzball" was trying to warn the Titans, in order to keep Raven safe. As for how he knew...chalk it up to some sixth sense that a member of the "pack" was in trouble. Not a big fan of Doc Light, but considering the way he just WALKED ALL OVER the team, I had to bring him back--new and improved.

spandexmonkey

Only after you eat your vegetables. We'll have only empty plates after every meal in THIS house, young monkey.

Le Chat  

Just wanted to show off Cyborg's um...genius with the crib.

I'd like to think Raven's mother learned something from being raped by a demon. Glad I'm not the only one that thinks Trigon got his demonic freak on elsewhere, or at least could. As far as I know, Trigon only ever had one mate (well, two here) and while she is dead, if she did commit suicide, it was for a good cause, at least.

No, *I'm* not going to call him Fuzzy. Starfire is. Nearly every Titan will give the baby a name. What he answers to is totally up to him.

Blackheart Syaoran (again)

Don't read TOO much into Starfire & BB being the baby's primary caretakers. They're working together closely, but are not necessarily a couple. Although I'd be lying if I said they aren't cute together. The kid is a wildebeest. No, really. Read some old comics. Or just wait a few weeks...

Le Chat (again)

I've never seen it specified that BB can only do male animals. You'll note that he hasn't actually pulled it off in the story so far. Maybe I just put it in for comedic effect. Maybe I'm just a sick little monkey. Or both.

Brave Raven

Even babies can recognize voices, colors, and faces. The baby (in this story at least) has been exposed to another Titans team, and (as Raven pointed out) already knows the Teen Titans (alternate versions of them). Cyborg doesn't realize this, and hopes the baby will learn to recognize Raven's figure & voice as hers.

dragonmaster01 

Minotaur? Good guess, but you had it right the first time. Titles aren't just for show, people.


	4. The Return of Mad Mod

Note: All characters are based (sometimes loosely) on the TV versions, unless otherwise noted.

I'm not sure how the comics handled it, but here, the baby will "grow" a little after each time he transforms.  Which means I won't be able to keep calling him "the baby" for long.

Extra Note: The Wildebeest on TV actually WAS a good model of what a mutated one could look like.  The ones I've seen usually have dark gray fur, horns, and elongated faces, like that one did.

Chapter 4: The Return of Mad Mod

"WHERE IS HE?!" Beast Boy shouted as he burst into Starfire's room.

The alien girl paused in the middle of brushing her hair.  "What troubles you, Beast Boy?"

"Wildy!  He's GONE!!!"

Starfire's green eyes widened.  "What?!  That cannot be!"

"He's not in the crib, he's not asleep on the dryer, and he's not watching Scooby Doo re-reruns!  Where ELSE could he be?!"

Beast Boy's shouts soon brought Robin and Cyborg running.

"Are we being attacked?!" Cyborg asked.

"No, it's worse!" Starfire moaned.  "Fuzzy is missing!"

Robin blinked a few times.  "You've already checked all over the Tower?"

"Yes!" Beast Boy insisted, panic in his voice.

"EVERY room?"

"YES!!!"

"Even Raven's?"

Beast Boy stared at him.  "Dude, no way.  Why would he be in there?"

Robin smirked.  "Cyborg, if you wouldn't mind?"

"On it, Rob," Cyborg replied as he jogged towards Raven's room.

"I'm telling you, there's no way he could be in there!  Raven doesn't even LIKE him!"

"No one else here knows where he is, BB.  It's only logical that Raven would.  Even if she didn't, she could find him with her telepathy."

A minute later, Cyborg returned, a look of surprise on his face.  "Found this on her door," he muttered, handing Robin a note.

Beast Boy and Starfire crowded around as Robin read the note: "Went to check some things.  Took the baby.  Don't worry."

"DON'T WORRY?!" Beast Boy absolutely shouted.  "SHE TOOK MY BABY!!!"

"OUR baby," Starfire said firmly.  "Anyway…I am sure Raven only wanted to spend time with Fuzzy.  Perhaps she is getting in touch with her maternal instincts."

"Yeah…well…she could've asked first," Beast Boy mumbled angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.

* * * * *

Raven frowned when the guard was done speaking.  "You're telling me Overload has been on the streets for how long?"

"At least for a week, miss," the guard replied uneasily.  "See, when we brought him in last time, he was completely paralyzed.  So we got used to seeing no activity on the scanner he was hooked up to.  We still don't know how he got out, but there's been no record of any activity on the scanner.  For all we know, that fried circuit board should still contain a paralyzed Overload.  We're just not used to containing prisoners made entirely out of electricity."

Raven sighed and handed him a card with a number on it.  "Call this number and ask for their files on Livewire.  It's a moot point now, but you never know."

"S.T.A.R. Labs?"  The guard eyed her curiously.  "Say, it's none of my business, but…you look like you've got a monkey on your back."

For a moment, Raven thought he was joking.  But then a soft, furry, green hand reached over her shoulder and patted her cheek fondly.  "Oh.  You meant THAT monkey."

"I did," the guard replied, obviously waiting for an explanation.

Raven sighed.  "Beast Boy had an accident."  She shrugged.  "He'll be stuck like this for a while.  We're working on it."

"Good luck with that, then."

"Thanks."  Raven spun on her heel and quickly left the prison.  When she was sure the coast was clear, she took the harness off of her back and held its bundled occupant before her face.  "You promised you wouldn't draw attention to yourself," she scolded.

The baby giggled and clapped his hands.

"No, it was NOT funny.  You're going to get us caught.  That green dye will only last so long, and the authorities will be looking for anything with brown fur.  The least you could do is help me keep you safe.  I'm just trying to return the favor."

The baby actually looked repentant.  "Baby sowwy, Nana," he mumbled.

Raven looked surprised, but only for a moment.  "You're getting smarter.  And I'll bet it has something to do with how often you transform."

He reached up and tugged gently on a lock of violet hair.  "Baby hungwy.  Nana feed Baby now?"

She sighed and carefully pried his furry little fist loose.  "Fine, we'll stop somewhere for lunch.  But no more letting people see you."

The baby obediently drew his arms back into the bundle.

Raven smiled slightly as she placed him back into the harness.  After a moment's hesitation, she patted his head briefly.  "Good boy."

"Baby always good for Nana," he said quietly, as she slipped the harness onto her back and headed down the street.

* * * * *

"I want that creature."

"With all due respect.  Sir.  It wasn't part of the deal," Jinx replied firmly.

"I wasn't talking to you.  I was merely expressing my desire aloud, my dear.  I would never entrust such a potentially lethal task to your team."

"You think we couldn't handle it?  Mammoth could beat him easy."

"Perhaps.  But I am not willing to risk losing him to find out.  Your only task is to deal with the Teen Titans.  Leave the beast to me."

"You saw the tapes," Jinx said, motioning to the screen that repeatedly showed Dr. Light's last moments.  "It's not like we can just ignore the thing.  It'll come after us."

"Only if it thinks you mean to harm the Titans.  But it won't lay a paw on you if it thinks you're a Titan."

Jinx frowned.  "I don't understand, sir."

"You don't need to," Slade replied, placing a hand on her shoulder.  "Just keep them busy.  I will handle the rest."

* * * * *

Raven was mobbed the instant she set foot in the living room.  

"My BABY!!!"

"Raven!  How was your afternoon with Fuzzy???  Did he make the adorable 'feed-me-NOW' noises?"

"I still can't believe you voluntarily took him out in public!"

"I told you he'd be fine with Raven.  You guys need to have a little faith."

Raven grimaced.  "Beast Boy, shut UP," she snapped, handing him the baby.  "No, he TOLD me to feed him.  Yes, I did; next time, it's YOUR turn.  And thank you for the vote of confidence, Robin."  With that, Raven headed for her room.  She hadn't gotten far when she felt a tug on her cloak.

Wildy began to whimper.  "Nana go 'way?" he asked, still clinging to her.

"Yes," Raven insisted.  "Frankly, you're exhausting, even for just a few hours."

"Nana go nap-nap?"

All too aware of the grinning faces around her, Raven sighed in defeat.  "Yes," she agreed quietly, "Nana go nap-nap."

"Baby miss Nana."  He pulled on her cloak until she came closer, and then gave her a furry kiss on the nose.  "Nite-nite, Nana!"

Her face thoroughly red, Raven instantly phased through the floor and dropped out of sight.

"I think we found ourselves a preferred babysitter," Beast Boy said with a wide grin.

"Now that's just plain unsanitary, my duckies!" said a familiar voice with a British accent.  "Who knows where that creature's been?"

"Mad Mod!" Robin growled, whipping out his staff.

Raven's head reappeared briefly on the floor, and she glanced at Mad Mod.  "Hologram."  With that, she was gone again.

"Up to your old tricks?" Beast Boy asked.  "Well, they won't work on us anymore!"

"Now, now, let's not be hasty!" Mad Mod chuckled.  "I've seen the error of my ways, I have.  Just came to let you tykes know I'm making a fresh start!"

"So we'll have to lock you back up in what, a week, tops?" Cyborg grunted.

Mad Mod placed a hand over his heart.  "You wound me, lad.  But no hard feelings!  Just to show all's on the up and up, how's about you and the gang come see my new operation?  Give you the grand tour!"

"How do we know we can trust you?" Starfire asked.

"Aw, don't be that way, luv!  Never know unless you try and all, right?"

Robin frowned.  "We'll be there."

"That's the spirit, mate!" Mad Mod said with a grin.  "Check you at seven sharp, my duckies!"  The hologram faded away at once.

"Uh…I don't know about this," Beast Boy muttered.

Robin nodded.  "It sounds like a trap, but I do want to know what he's up to.  Cyborg and I will check it out.  We'll call for backup if we need it."

* * * * *

"We'll be ready," Jinx said, just before the transmission ended.

"So everything's still on?" Mammoth grunted.

She nodded.  "Tonight, we take the Titans down.  For good."

Gizmo gave her a doubtful look.  "I think you're forgetting something, oh fearless leader.  There's three of us, three and a half if you count our 'principal' who doesn't actually fight, and FIVE Titans."

"We've beaten them before," Jinx argued.

"Yeah, but NOW they know how we think."

"Yes, and NOW we also have these booster collars," she reminded him, tapping the thick metal ring around her neck.  "Your tech runs faster, my hexes are more powerful, and Mammoth's ten times as strong as he used to be.  If all that isn't enough, I'll bring in our foreign exchange plan."

"Our what, now?" Mammoth asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"You know, foreign exchange plan.  Slade's money exchanges hands, and we get ringers.  Get it, big guy?"

"I thought WE were the ringers," Gizmo mumbled.

"Nah, we're the grunts," Jinx admitted, though she didn't seem too upset about it.  "That's why we have to wear these goofy school uniforms…"

"That's ANOTHER thing I don't like about this plan!" Gizmo snapped.  "The school theme is getting REAL old REAL fast!"

"Look at it this way," she replied.  "No one can get mad if they 'accidentally' get ripped in battle."

Gizmo grinned at her.  "I never thought I'd say this, but I love your fashion sense."

* * * * *

"These are the coordinates that Mad Mod sent," Cyborg announced, checking the readout on his arm.

"Typical," Robin muttered as he stared up at the abandoned school building.  "Well, we'd better get started.  It's my turn to read Wildy a bedtime story tonight."

Cyborg chuckled as they stepped through the gate.  "Look at it this way.  Now you can bore him to sleep with the gripping tale of how we searched an empty school for no good reason."

"Oh, but class is now in session, my duckies!" crowed a familiar, amplified voice.  "Ready for homeroom?  Report to Classroom 666!"

Cyborg frowned.  "Somehow, I don't like the sound of that."

"You shouldn't," Robin replied, glancing around warily.  "It's the number of The Beast."

There was an earthshaking explosion as an enormous figure burst from the ground and landed in front of them.  "Close enough."

"Am I crazy, or did that guy sound like Mammoth?" Robin asked.

Cyborg looked up…and up…and up.  "I'd have to say both, Rob.  Either Big M's been eating his Wheaties, or he just ate the whole Wheaties production plant…"

Robin's gaze landed on the thick steel rings circling each of Mammoth's limbs.  "My guess is those rings have something to do with his growth spurt.  If we can get rid of them-"

Cyborg blinked slowly as Mammoth's enormous fist flew straight at them.  "Easier said than done, Rob…"

* * * * *

Raven was trying to mediate.  'Trying' being the keyword, because for the first time in a long time, she couldn't focus.  Her mind, for some reason, insisted on continually taking her back to her outing with the baby.  Despite the fact that he wasn't even in the room, she could still feel his furry little face pressed into her neck, or his tiny heart beating slowly against her chest, or his warm breath brushing her cheek.

With a frustrated sigh, Raven redoubled her efforts.  Once she reminded herself that Beast Boy and Starfire were perfectly capable of taking care of Wildy, it was somewhat easier to focus her thoughts.

Of course, that was the moment when her communicator began to pulse.

"Guys, we could really use that backup right about now!" Robin's voice shouted over an ominous crash.

Before Raven could respond, Starfire broke in with: "We will all be there shortly to assist you!"

"ALL of us?" Beast Boy asked excitedly.  "Even Wildy?"

"Um…well…"

"Actually, Star," Robin interrupted, "I think Wildy is just who we need to even up this battle.  Mammoth's been taking his vitamins!"

"By the truckload!" Cyborg shouted in the background.

"And if my hunch is right, his HIVE buddies are in with Mad Mod, too.  We haven't seen them yet, but these guys rarely work alone."

"C'mon, Star!" Beast Boy insisted.  "Wildy can take care of himself!  I mean…we all know what happened to Doctor Li-"

"SHHH!  Raven might be listening!" Starfire hissed.

Raven's heart stopped.  How had they found out about that?  How long had they known?  Well, she wasn't too surprised.  Robin was a very skilled detective, all things considered.  A quick look at the crime scene would've told him everything he needed to know.  And, of course, he would inform the other Titans that Wildy had a dangerous side, just to be safe.  But why hadn't he approached her?  Perhaps he already knew that she knew.  But, in that case, why did Starfire think they had to hide it from her?

Her communicator pulsed again.  

"Raven," Robin said.  "I need a favor."

"I'm listening," she answered.

"Stay in the Tower.  Jinx and Gizmo might show up to wreck the place again."

"Will do.  Good luck."

"Thanks.  We're gonna need it…"

* * * * *

Next Time: Gizmo & Jinx join the party, but so do Star, BB, and Wildy!  But what do Mad Mod and the HIVE kids have in store for the baby beast, and can Raven come out on top in her next battle with Sylvan? And in the midst of all that, don't you DARE forget about Slade!

(I decided to split this chapter in two parts, since it was taking so damn long…)

Reviews~!

Blackheart Syaoran

Yup, I knew Wildy was gonna be on TV. (I said so in the update) That one will be a teen, though, not a baby. His growth spurts will become more important as the story goes on.

I've never seen the comic version of Mad Mod, so I have to base mine on the cartoon. 

I did get to your story, nice start!

Ivno Veldar

Ah, but the BABY didn't kill Dr. Light. His alter ego did. Wildy has little or no control over what he does when that happens. Which will become a problem.

While I've heard of Diskworld, the only Diana I know is in the JL (I'm not crazy about her, either). Glad I managed to impress the creator of the harshest scale in fanfiction just a wee bit, though. But tone the maniacal laughter down, bud.  You're scaring the kids. Not to mention me... ^_^;

TIGER*GRRrr

BB is Mama. Raven is Nana. Cuz of the hood. Mostly. ^_^

Mama = mother, Nana = nanny = hired help to watch the kid while Mama's away (think Mary Poppins). Starfire is Sta-Fi. Almost as good as Mama, but not quite. There is no Dada. Only Wabin and Wobot. 

Note: In the comics, the baby refers to itself as "Baby".

Gothica13

If you think our two stories are the only ones that have ever used the "Beauty & the Beast" concept, think again. Raven is beautiful, Beast Boy is a beast. It's an obvious connection, and one you can't copyright. In short, I didn't steal your title. Personally, I like mine better, anyway. Something else you want to think about:

Birdy and the Beast

Robin,Starfire,and Cy have been invited to a party. What will Raven and Beast Boy do? RBB story.

Published: 1-24-04

Broody and the Beast Boy

Beast Boy sets out to win Raven's heart. Nobody said it would be easy...or even possible.

Published: 10-9-03

My story was uploaded in 2003. Yours wasn't. If anything, YOU stole MY title. Get your facts straight before accusing anyone of stealing publicly. Your best bet would've been to e-mail me privately instead of attempting to call me out where everyone could see. Now YOU'RE the one left looking silly. The only thing you could possibly get out of this is free advertising for your story, and you have ME to thank for that. I consider myself a nice guy, so that's all I'll say on the matter. Have a nice life. ^_^


	5. The Sound of the Fury

Notes: "Saving Titan Twinkleface" will get another chapter. But it's trying to turn into a series.

Chapter 5: The Sound of the Fury

Starfire couldn't help giggling quietly as Fuzzy's furry little hand tickled her cheek.  In truth, she was glad that Beast Boy had opted to let her carry the baby into battle this time.  As it was, the harness would only hinder Beast Boy's transformations and possibly endanger the baby.  Starfire had been flying much longer than he had, and had a better chance of protecting the baby with her body, should the need arise.  Beast Boy could be tough, but he didn't have alien strength on his side.

Not far away, Beast Boy had assumed the shape of an eagle as they flew towards Robin and Cyborg's last coordinates.  There was a steely glint in his eye, more from the eagle's natural demeanor than his choice, but it reminded Starfire that this was serious business.  There would always be time to play later.

Of course, she guessed Fuzzy didn't realize that, as he kept reaching around to pat her cheek or tug on her hair.  She caught the little fist (though it was a bit larger than she remembered) and gave it a tender kiss.  "Not now, my little one," she scolded gently.  "It's time for the Hiding Game."

Fuzzy instantly complied by withdrawing into the bundle of blue blanket as much as he could.  He seemed to enjoy the 'game,' first thought up by Cyborg, more than any of them could've hoped.  It was made a bit more difficult by his sudden increase in size, but that was remedied with a slightly larger blanket.  No doubt, it would look mighty suspicious to any supervillain, but perhaps that would make them a bit more wary of the Teen Titans.  Not that Dr. Light's mysterious death hadn't done that already, though.

The eagle sprouted Beast Boy's head in place of it's own without warning.  "We're almost there, Star," he said, before realizing the sudden increase in weight was pulling him out of the sky and reverting back to eagle form.

Starfire nodded and increased her speed a bit, hoping that Robin and Cyborg had managed to hold their own against Mammoth.  However, that hope was dashed when they finally spotted the huge warehouse—and then, after seeing it MOVE, realized that the hulking structure was actually Mammoth.  He had pinned both Robin and Cyborg to the ground, each Titan under one enormous hand.

"About time you two showed up," Mammoth chuckled, his laughter sounding more like a guttural growl.

"Robin!  Cyborg!" Starfire cried.  "You are unharmed???"

"Uncomfortable is more like it!" Cyborg shouted back.

"We're fine!  Watch your backs!" Robin warned.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked.  "There's nobody else here!"

"You need your eyes checked!" cackled a voice above them.

The night sky shimmered and solidified into a spider-like figure that immediately pounced on Beast Boy, entrapping him between its metal legs.  Gizmo smirked triumphantly down at his captive.

"What's the matter, Booger Boy?  You never heard of camouflage tech?  Meet the new and improved me!"

Beast boy didn't seem too worried.  "I think I liked the old you.  HE was less dorky, at least.  And you're not the only one that's improved.  Welcome to my parlor, said the griffin to the spider."

Gizmo frowned.  "What?  That's not how it AAAAAAHHH!!!"

His legs were violently torn out from under him as Beast Boy became little more than a flurry of feathers and claws.  Gizmo quickly detached himself from his metal harness and leaped away, carried clear by rocket pack on his back.  He looked back mournfully to find his spider legs twisted and torn.

Starfire watched in awe as Beast Boy finally stopped moving, revealing his new transformation.  It was indeed a regal, green griffin that stood atop the junk pile with wings outstretched, glaring menacingly at Mammoth.  "Beast Boy…you are…???"

"Griffin, Star," it replied with practiced ease.  "Guess reading Harry Potter to Wildy gave me some ideas."

"Then it's fitting that magic will be your downfall," said Jinx as she appeared before him.  "Should I embarrass you now, or after I've dealt with Starfire?"

The green griffin leaped at her in answer, his claws and wings extended.

"Sorry, BB, but this is a no-flying zone."  Jinx twiddled her fingers, and a violet sphere appeared around the griffin, growing smaller and smaller until he was forced to revert to Beast Boy.  "Looks like I've got a new pet."

"I am NOT a pet!" Beast Boy shouted as he transformed into various stronger animals that had a chance of escaping.

"You'll only wear yourself out, but go right ahead if you want."  She turned back to face Starfire.  "Your turn!"

Starfire hesitated for a moment.  "I am not a fan of enclosed spheres, and even if I was, I would not wish to be imprisoned in one!"

Jinx gave her an odd look.  "Anyone ever tell you that you talk weird?"

"I do not!" Starfire cried, just before Fuzzy's harness was suddenly ripped from her back.

"Hot spud!" Gizmo called as he dropped the bundle into Jinx's waiting arms.

"Hmm.  So this is the little guy that Slade's after, huh?" Jinx asked as she opened up the blanket.

"You leave Fuzzy alone!" Starfire shouted, zooming at Jinx with her eyes blazing emerald.

"Oh, relax.  We're not going to HURT him."  Jinx stared intensely at a thick slab of cement, which tore itself from ground just in time to have Starfire run straight into it.  The cement crumbled from the sheer force of the collision, but the alien girl that crashed to a stop at Jinx's feet was obviously unconscious.

"Well, THAT was easy," Gizmo snorted as he touched down next to her.

"Yeah.  Too bad they didn't bring Raven.  I wanted to play with her," Jinx sighed.

"She'll come," Mammoth said confidently.  "They always do."

"Got a point there."  She turned her attention back to the baby in her arms.  "Hey, little guy!  Know who I am?  I'm your new big sis!  Yes, I am, you little cutey, you…"

* * * * *

Raven was drawn out of her meditation by a feeling of wrongness.  It was not urgent or troublesome, just…wrong.  And it was enough to make focusing on anything else impossible.  With a sigh, she took out her communicator and tried to contact the other Titans.

After several tries with no response, she finally became worried.  She began to wonder if Robin had greatly underestimated the HIVE kids, or if there had been some reinforcements waiting.  Perhaps Beast Boy or Starfire had been distracted by Wildy, or maybe Wildy himself had gotten hurt.

Instantly brushing that last thought from her mind, Raven decided she would go against Robin's orders just this once.  If nothing else, she could claim that she sensed the Titans needed her help.  It wasn't really something any of them could disprove, and in the end, she thought, they'd all be better off if she was there to help.  The last thing she was going to do was just sit there when her teammates might be in danger.

But as she set one foot outside her room, something happened.  Raven was not sure what at first, but it soon became obvious that she had been teleported somewhere else.  One second, she stepping into the hallway.  The next, she was floating it what seemed to be outer space.  It wasn't, of course, as she could breathe and move easily.

"We are within my mindscape, Raven," said a familiar voice.  "Our next battleground."

She was not at all surprised to find Sylvan hovering nearby.  "You have really lousy timing.  I was in the middle of something."

He arched an eyebrow.  "You are a child of Trigon.  I would think nothing would be more important to you than ensuring his permanent downfall."

"My friends are more important," Raven snapped, "and right now, they need my help!"

"Then perhaps you had better hurry and defeat me," Sylvan replied.  "That is the only way you shall leave this place, Seedling."

Raven glared at him.  "Fine.  Just remember you asked for this.  I'm not in a good mood right now."

"Good.  I would prefer you fought me that way.  In fact, don't think of me as myself.  Think of me as him."

She paused. "You know I can't do that, Sylvan…"

He frowned.  "Perhaps you are not ready for that, yet.  But we will do battle…and I will not make it easy for you."  Even as he spoke, the air around them seemed to come alive.  The winds picked up, becoming rough and icy.

"What are you doing?!" Raven shouted over the noise of the winds.  

"I am using the gifts my mother passed on to me," Sylvan replied, his green eyes gleaming.  "I am harnessing my control over nature for the first time in years."

"But…you said if you did that-!"

"That I could lose control over Father's taint?"  His voice became emotionless.  "Yes.  I know.  If that happens, I will not hold back.  At that point, I would suggest you didn't, either."

"Don't do this!" Raven pleaded.  "There has to be another way to find out which of us is better prepared to take down Trigon!"

"There isn't."  Sylvan nodded, and all the wind present seemed to rush at Raven in one huge, chilling blast, sending her flying through the air like a rag doll.  "If the fate of your friends matters so much to you, I would think you might put up a better fight than that, Seedling."

Raven growled as she regained her footing, her eyes beginning to glow red.  "Don't push me, Sylvan.  You're not the only one with his taint around here."

"No.  But I'm not the one that's afraid to unleash mine.  If the only way for you defeat me is to immerse yourself in his darkness, then you will never defeat Trigon."

"Shouldn't the same go for you?"

His eyes narrowed and thick vines suddenly appeared, winding quickly around Raven's limbs and stretching her body painfully.  "No more talking.  We've wasted enough time as it is."

"Have it your way!"  Raven extended her power outward, smirking triumphantly as the vines were coated with black energy.  "Just like I thought."  The vines around her arms became hissing snakes, which she tossed at Sylvan.

He backed away in fear and surprise, banishing the snakes with a wave of his hand.  "How did you do that?!  You don't have that kind of power!"

"Normally, I wouldn't," Raven replied as she easily freed herself.  "But I guess I was right about you.  Deep down, not only do you not want to fight me, but you want me to beat you.  That's why I could turn those vines into snakes.  We're in your mind, so there's no way I could cheat, unless you helped me do it."

"No.  You are wrong, Raven," he insisted.

"I don't think I am," she responded as she launched herself at him.

Sylvan continued to backpedal, throwing a handful of seeds at Raven.  They instantly burst open and solidified into a tall tree, trapping her within the bark.  But it wasn't long before Raven vanished from view, and a dark, birdlike shadow slipped out of the bark.

"Give it up, Sylvan," Raven murmured as she appeared directly in front of him.  "Your heart isn't in this fight.  Rather, it's influencing your head, which is only helping me instead of you.  But there's one thing I don't get."  She reached up and pressed her hand to his pale cheek.  "Are you really doing this because you think it'll make me strong enough to defeat Trigon?  Or are you just too afraid to attempt it yourself?"   

"I…"  The fury in Sylvan's eyes seemed to give way to overwhelming sadness.  "Curse you, Seedling," he whispered, before fading from sight.

"Wait!" Raven cried, even as she suddenly found herself outside the warehouse at Mad Mod's coordinates.  She sighed in frustration.  "For someone so strong, he sure runs away a lot…"

* * * * *

Gizmo growled in frustration as he turned away from the console.  "Slade was right.  Hairy over here is a tough not to crack.  I can't alter any of his memories of the Titans, and those are the ones we want."

"That's why Mad Mod's Thinking Cap only distorts his vision," Jinx replied, holding up what looked like a metal bowl.  "We don't have to bother his memories, as long as he thinks we're the Titans.  But remember, we have to dress the part to aid the illusion.  Good thing I remembered how dull Raven's fashion sense is."

"And I'll be Cyborg.  I still have that mechanical double I was working on."

Jinx shook her head.  "YOU can't be Cyborg.  Who else could Mammoth possibly pose as?  Their build is roughly identical.  Anyway, you're already wearing green…"

"I am NOT going to be that loser Beast Boy!!!" Gizmo snapped.  "Why can't I be Robin?!"

"Get over it, Giz.  You don't even need a costume.  All you have to do is make animal noises every now and then.  He won't know the difference with this on."  Jinx began fiddling with the Thinking Cap.  "If this thing really works, I bet we'll be able to move back in the Tower."

"And if it doesn't?"

Jinx shrugged.  "Then I hope you can run really fast."

Before Gizmo could reply, the door slid open, and Mad Mod walked in.  "All right, my duckies!  Let's get this show on the road, shall we?  The beastie's all strapped in?"

"Yes, sir," Jinx answered.  "We were just awaiting your approval to proceed."

"Now, that's what I like to hear, luv!  Time to make this missing link our new guard dog!"

Jinx crossed the room and stopped beside a small crib, where Wildy was sleeping peacefully.  She carefully attached the Thinking Cap to his head (gently tickling his chin all the while).  "Thinking Cap ready, sir."

"Hit it, sprog!" Mad Mod said, pointing at Gizmo.

Muttering under his breath, Gizmo activated the machine.  "Operation: D.U.N.C.E. is online.  All systems green.  Activating brain fog now."

In the crib, Wildy twitched slightly, but did not wake up.

"Releasing growth hormones.  Transformation to begin in 3…2…1."

Wildy's eyes snapped open and spun crazily around the room before landing on Jinx.

"Is he supposed to look like that?" she asked fearfully.

Gizmo shrugged.  "Considering I expected his head to explode, I'd say looking like that is a good thing."

Jinx watched as Wildy quickly began to increase in size, until the crib exploded, forcing her to back away.  And still Wildy continued to grow, until he was easily ten feet tall.

"…I think it actually worked," Gizmo muttered, checking the readout.  "Pulse decreasing to normal.  No damage to nervous system detected.  Everything looks okay for now."

"But is he ours yet?" Mad Mod asked.  "Better test him, luv."

Jinx hesitantly approached the hulking, hairy creature before her.  "Um…hi.  Remember me?"  She made sure that the blue cloak she wore was in plain view.

The creature leaned down and stared at her uncertainly for a moment.  A red light on the Thinking Cap flashed, and his eyes seemed to glaze over.  "Nana," he growled softly, petting Jinx's head with a finger that nearly knocked her down.

"Well, I guess he's not going to eat her," Gizmo decided.  "Crap.  I owe Mammoth twenty bucks…"

* * * * *

"Ooooh…my head," Starfire moaned as she came to.

"Easy, Star," Beast Boy warned from somewhere nearby.  "You hit that cement pretty hard."

"Beast Boy…?  Where…where is Fuzzy?"

"They took him," he muttered sadly.  "We did our best, but…they were too strong."

"It is all my fault," Starfire whispered, tears forming in her eyes.  

"No.  I'm the one that wanted to bring him."

"I'm the one that told you to," Robin added.

Starfire looked up to see all the other Titans attached to the wall in similar fashions.  Beast Boy and Cyborg's manacles seemed especially large, and were probably keeping them from using their powers.  But then, she imagined her own were like that as well.  "At least we are all safe for now."

"Uh…anyone heard from Ray?" Cyborg asked suddenly.

Everyone looked at Robin, who shook his head.  "Not a word.  But she'll know that something is wrong.  Raven is a telepath, after all."

"But those HIVE jerks will be ready for her.  I just wish we could warn her that they're stronger…and that they have our furry friend."

"No good.  Our communicators are gone, and so is my belt.  I think we're in here until Raven springs us."

Cyborg grunted with effort.  "If I could just get one arm free, I could signal her.  But these shackles must have jammers in them."

"Hey, I can help!"  Beast Boy's head transformed into that of a llama.

Cyborg stared at his friend in confusion before it dawned on him.  "NO!  DON'T YOU DARE!!!"

A huge wad of spit flew from the llama's lips and splattered noisily on the side of Cyborg's face.

A large sweatdrop rolled down the back of Beast Boy's head as he changed back.  "Heh.  Sorry, dude."

"Work.  On.  Your.  AIM!!!" Cyborg shouted angrily.

"Wait.  Those shackles don't block your powers?" Robin asked.

"Um…only when I try to change my entire body at once," Beast Boy replied.  "I can change individual body parts easy, though.  Why?"

"You had the right idea…sort of.  We may be able to free ourselves without Raven's help."

* * * * *

Raven frowned as she entered the warehouse.  For a few seconds, she sensed something that very much resembled Wildy's thoughts, but it was gone now…at least, she could no longer sense it.  Which worried her a great deal.

It was easy enough to locate the Titans, though, so she focused on their thoughts and headed straight for them.  But she hadn't gone far when she felt another flash from the thoughts that resembled Wildy's.  Raven stopped, trying to decide what she would do.  From the sound of it, Robin already had a plan to free their teammates, so there was nothing to worry about there.  On the other hand, if Wildy was in danger, time was of the essence.

"I knew getting close to him would get me in trouble," Raven sighed as she chose to try and find him.

The trail led her to a large chamber, where she found Jinx waiting for her.

"So there you are.  Took your time getting here, little birdie," Jinx teased with a grin.  "But don't worry, we saved a BIG surprise for you."

Raven sighed as she took in Jinx's cape.  "Okay.  'Be Like Raven Day' ends right now."

"This isn't the only thing of yours I stole, Raven."  Jinx whistled sharply.  "Time for you to meet the newest member of our happy little family.  Say hello, Woolly!"

Before Raven could ask, a huge shadow fell over her.  She darted away just in time to avoid being crushed by an enormous weight that crashed into the floor seconds later.  But after looking back, she was shocked to realize that the hulking, furry mass before her was strangely familiar.  Her face fell as it finally clicked a moment later.  "Oh no…Wildy…"

"That's Woolly!" Jinx snapped.  "You'll make him mad if you get his name wrong!"  She paused and giggled.  "Never mind, call him whatever you want."  She pointed at Raven.  "Woolly!  This bad lady is bothering your Nana!  Get rid of her!"

Raven didn't move at first, partially because she was still recovering from the shock, but mostly because she didn't think Wildy would ever hurt her.  But when a red light on the odd helmet he wore flashed, the creature thundered forward with startling speed, his mouth open in a primal roar as he raised a large fist.  Raven gasped and scrambled out of the way as the fist just missed crushing her legs.  "Wildy, stop!  What are you doing?!  It's me!" she cried.

"Aww," Jinx fake moaned, shaking her head.  "Seems like he doesn't remember you, Raven.  Maybe you two just need some quality time alone together.  So I'll just make sure you're not interrupted."  With a wave of her hand, the door Raven had entered through slammed shut and locked.  "Call me when you're done…if you can."  Jinx vanished with another wave, but not before sticking her tongue out at Raven.

Actually, Raven was somewhat relieved when Jinx left.  It would make what she had to do next far less embarrassing.  Shrinking back to the wall of the chamber, she took a deep breath.  "Wildy," she said gently to the creature glaring down at her.  "You know me.  I'm your Nana."

"Bad lady!" he growled, raising a fist again as he approached.  "Nana no like you!"

"Don't make me hurt you," Raven threatened, though she wasn't even convinced that she could.  Even if she brought herself to do it, the chances of her even slowing him down were slim to none.  All the same, she summoned her powers and charged her hands with dark energy.

The creature paused momentarily as he noticed this, and actually seemed to back off slightly.  But then the red light flashed again, and he continued forward.

Any thoughts of attacking left Raven's mind at once, and she flew into the air to avoid the fist that crashed into the spot she'd been standing seconds before.  "I guess you're not going to make this easy on me.  But at least I know you can't fly."

The creature glared up at her for a long moment before sinking to the floor, as if he'd given up his pursuit of her.  Then, without warning, he leaped powerfully upwards, so fast that he'd passed Raven's current height before she realized it.  By the time she did, the hard, hairy palm was already headed straight for her.  She tried to dodge it, but it slammed into her side before she could move.  Raven's senses were flooded with pain at once, and the sensation only doubled when she hit the ground a few seconds later.  She was only vaguely aware of the creature landing nearby, as the stars had not yet faded from her eyes, and all she could hear was dull throb gradually overtaking her brain.

"No," Raven whispered.  "Not now.  I can't…hurt Wildy…"  But had a mirror been available, she knew she would find her eyes beginning to flare crimson.  Her body seemed to know that she was unwilling to fight, and it was running on pure instinct now: instinct that stated if Raven wouldn't fight, there was at least part of her that always would, and then some.

Then the creature was standing over her, his fists joined to deliver one final, massive blow.  And as he raised them and opened his jaws, Raven heard something let loose an animal howl of triumph.  What scared her most, however, was that she couldn't tell if it had come from some deep, dark part of Wildy, or some even deeper, darker part of herself.

* * * * *

"Well, well," Slade murmured as he watched the battle unfold before him.  "How far are you willing to go against a former ally, Raven?  I suppose we'll find out together."

"You never told me she could do that," said a voice at his side.

"Are you worried, my dear?" Slade asked.

"No way.  I just wish I'd known before.  I thought this was gonna be boring.  Glad to see I was wrong."

"Why aren't Jinx and the others helping?" demanded a second voice.  "They should either gang up on Raven or at least be getting rid of the other Titans!"

"Patience, Blackfire," Slade said to the Tamaranean girl.  "I thought you wanted the pleasure of your sister's defeat?"

"Well, yeah.  But that doesn't mean she can't get roughed up a bit first," Blackfire sighed.  "It just leaves more room for the HIVE gang to make a mistake and leave themselves wide open."

"But that's where you come in.  If the Titans are victorious, then you and Terra will sweep in and crush them before they can even think of celebrating."

"You meant that literally, right?" Terra asked with a malicious gleam in her blue eyes.  "Please tell me you did."

Slade chuckled and placed his hands on her shoulders.  "Let's not be too anxious, Terra.  We want them taken alive…for now.  They can still be of some use to us."

Terra pouted.  "You never let me have any fun."

"You want fun, huh?" Blackfire asked.  "Race you there?"

Terra grinned at her.  "Winner gets dibs on Robin?"

"No way!  I already called him!"

"I wasn't ready then!  And no way are you sticking me with the green one!"

"I thought you said he was cute?"

"That was BEFORE I saw Robin!"

"No, it wasn't."

Slade turned backed to the feed from Mad Mod's warehouse as the two girls walked off.  "Hmm.  Wasn't expecting that…but arrangements can be made." 

* * * * *

Next Time: Raven's battle with Woolly (ten points if you can guess his full name and where it came from!) heats up, Terra & Blackfire enter the fray, and Starfire is forced to make a difficult choice!

Reviews! (which I'm just combining from now on, as it's too much work to create two different copies of the same chapter for each crowd of readers; so mingle, because I command it…)

FF.net:

Blackheart Syaoran

I too know the troubles of updating.  Heck, I'm in the midst of final exams now (and should prolly be working on that last paper, rather than this…but I think you'll agree this is more fun!).  Stick with it as best you can, maybe you'll get lucky and catch a break where you're majorly inspired.  Or that's how it works for me, anyway.  Good luck!

Raven Grey Ghost

Don't stress yourself over the "Nana" bit. The baby just needs simple labels to identify his caregivers. HE doesn't know the history of the word. It's just how he identifies Raven. For all he knows, Raven COULD be his grandmother. He already has two "parents" as it is. It's not meant to confuse Raven (or you), it's meant to annoy her. Which it does, but she adjusts. As any good nanny (related or otherwise) would. ^_^

On an interesting note, Raven DOES resemble Red Riding Hood in blue.  Maybe that's where the grandma thing comes from.  Just, um…don't tell her I said that.  ^_^;

AT-chan

I wouldn't care if you reviewed at 5:49 AM, so long as you did review!  ^_^

I never really intended for there to be any pairings in this story. That may change later on. Wildy will bring BB & Star closer, but they're not really a couple; they're just his primary caregivers.  But I won't say they aren't awfully cute together.  Cuz they are.

It would depend on WHICH Supergirl you want to see again. If you mean the one that brought Wildy to this timeline, there's a good chance she'll pop up later. If you mean the one from Titans: Revealed that beat BB at video games (and is a reserve Titan), she MIGHT turn up, here or elsewhere. But rest assured one or both will appear in this story later on.  No, I'm not being vague on purpose.  Or am I?

Raven A. Star

Still want the "baby" now?  *laughs maniacally before lapsing into a coughing fit*   _

Ahem.  Yes, well.  Anyway.  Glad you like the story…  

MM.org:

Pluukapalooka

Thanks for the tip!  I've tried to keep Starfire's speech as "Starry" as possible.  Frankly, I had to re-watch the Mad Mod episode just so I could get his patterns down.  Thankfully, I've dealt with British accents before, though I'm a little rusty.  But I'll get better with people like you helping me out, so thanks again!

If I overlooked/forgot to answer anyone's questions, just…um…ask it again or shout at me, either should work…  ^_^;


	6. Seeing Red

Notes: Sorry for the wait, as usual.  Seeing Terra on the brink of insanity last night convinced me to post this today.  Sad part is, you didn't even have to know the storyline in advance to know she'd turn on them.  I mean, they made it so friggin' OBVIOUS.  And is it me, or did the opening to Justice League Unlimited make it seem like Supergirl was the star?  Which I don't have a problem with, but still.  She never even got her own animated show…until now, apparently.  Heh.

… is telepathic speech.

Chapter 6: Seeing Red

It was a lot like watching a horror movie, but infinitely worse, as she couldn't just walk out.

Raven knew for a fact that every blow that sent Wildy (or as Jinx had called him, Woolly) reeling came from her very own hands.  Hands that, frighteningly, were starting to resemble claws more and more as time slipped by.  In the end, there would probably be little difference between the thing she was becoming and the thing she was fighting.  Unless you considered the fact that one of them might not be living then.

There was honestly not much she could do to stop herself.  At first, she had merely been fighting to keep her father's taint in check for fear of hurting Wildy, but now the situation had changed drastically.  Woolly had proven to be capable and willing to use lethal force more than once, and Raven's body had accepted that before her mind had.  While her brain insisted that Wildy shouldn't be hurt, her body insisted that it wasn't just going to sit there and get beaten to death.  Unfortunately, in order to fight back, her body was drawing on the most readily available power source it had: the taint of Trigon.

In the past, unleashing that particular power had resulted in everything from short-term memory loss to total repression of the things Raven did while under her father's spell.  This time, however, she could see her body inflicting pain on a loved one, and worse yet, she was gaining a kind of twisted pleasure from it.

There was no rationalizing her actions in the part of her that would still call itself Raven: this was wrong, she was wrong, and the outcome would be wrong.

Woolly, of course, was not aware of her inner struggle.  If anything, he'd probably figured out just what Nana (Jinx) didn't like about the Bad Lady (Raven).  Probably it had something to do with her glowing red eyes, all the snarling, and the way all the shadows in the room seem to gather around and flow into her.  Still, Nana had told him to do something, and he had every intention of making her happy.  That was, after all, what Good Boys did.

As she soared across the night sky, Blackfire glanced down and smiled faintly.  A few feet below her, she could make out her new partner in crime, surfing through the air on a small rock.  A while back, she never would've even considered working with a loose cannon like Terra.  It was just that there had been so many benefits to accepting Slade's offer.

She still had no idea how deep Slade's connections ran, and part of her had no desire to find out.  But if he could reach halfway across the galaxy and into her old cell in Centari, there was no telling how much influence he held in the right circles.  All Blackfire knew was that he'd given her a choice: continue to rot in jail, or come work for him.

And it had been work, at first.  Blackfire loved a good party as much as the next girl, but she'd still considered herself a hard worker.  Then she had met Slade and learned HIS idea of hard work.  It was more than a few steps above her own ideas, to say the least.  But by the time he had been willing to put any trust in her abilities ("When you work for me, Blackfire, the training never ends," he was fond of saying), she could see all the improvements his watchful eye (as far as she knew, he only had one) had wrought. 

Terra had popped up on the radar rather unexpectedly, but Slade had apparently had his eye on her for quite some time.  Blackfire had been curious about his plans for her, and she soon found out when Slade gave her a real challenge.  He had said, "Teach her everything I taught you.  When you're done, any weaknesses I see in her, you will be held responsible for."  It wasn't as ominous as he'd made it sound, of course.  He merely made Blackfire work twice as hard when Terra messed up…and in turn, Blackfire made Terra work even harder so that it never happened again.  Terra hadn't like that at all, and even being teacher's pet hadn't made up for it, at first.  But once she figured out that Blackfire didn't actually hate her, they became fast friends. 

"Hey, Blackie!" Terra suddenly shouted, breaking into the alien girl's thoughts.

Blackfire dropped down a bit until she was flying alongside Terra's rock.  "What's up?"

"I know you told me why you've got it in for Starfire, but you never said why you hated the other Titans."

"I don't, really," Blackfire admitted with a shrug.  "It's just…they make good targets.  And we need the practice.  And if you go after one, the others will come running.  So I'd have to take them all on eventually.  Besides, Slade wants us to.  We don't need any other reason."

Terra nodded.  "Yeah, I know.  I just wondered if there was another you wanted to handle personally."

"Maybe Robin, for choosing Star over me.  I mean, I got over it, but just the thought still bugs me a little."

The blond girl smirked.  "Would it make you feel better if I hit on you?"

Blackfire rolled her eyes.  "No, but I appreciate the thought…I think."

"I thought you were open-minded?" Terra joked. 

"I thought YOU were madly in love with Slade?"

"Whatever," Terra muttered, though there was a hint of red in her cheeks as she looked away.

"I wouldn't judge you if you were," Blackfire said quickly, sensing her partner's feelings.  "As older men go, Slade wouldn't be a bad catch, exactly.  Rich, powerful, brilliant, and-"

"Never takes off that damn mask," Terra interrupted with a frustrated sigh.

"Well, not to rain on your parade, but maybe he was in an accident as a kid?"

Terra shook her head.  "Slade wouldn't hide something like that, he'd use it.  He only wears that mask so no one can get past the name.  Harder to track him down that way."

"You mean harder to get close to him, right?"

"Both," Terra muttered, clenching her fists.

"I wouldn't worry about it.  He never made passes at me."

Terra grunted.  "He doesn't make passes."

"No.  But he pats your shoulders, brushes your hair, and stares into your eyes long enough for me to notice.  I'd tell you if he'd done that to me, and he hasn't.  Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn't.  If he didn't think you were cute, he's going about showing it the wrong way."

Still, Terra shook her head.  "Slade manipulates people.  He knew you wanted to get back at Starfire, and he knew I didn't want to be alone anymore.  But he's conned us both into taking out the Titans."

"Not really.  He told us up front that we'd be doing this eventually," Blackfire reasoned.

"But beyond your sister, neither of us really has a good reason for it," Terra argued.  "There's plenty of heroes around, so why start with them?"

"Because you don't start with the Justice League and work your way down, silly.  Anyway, they have something Slade wants.  Maybe they're the only team that has it.  Either way, it wouldn't matter.  He wants it from them and no one else.  It's not our job to question that."

"So if he told you to kill Starfire, would you question that?"

Blackfire shrugged.  "No.  But I wouldn't do it, either."

"That's it, Woolly Bully!" Mad Mad cackled.  "Give 'er the old one-two!"

"Why are we taking orders from this guy again?" Gizmo whispered.

"You have to admit, his plan IS working," Jinx muttered, scowling as Raven dodged another wild swipe.  "I just wish he was better at naming the grunts."

"Well, now that we know the Thinking Cap works, why do we need him?"

"Did you forget that Slade paired us with him?  Do you really want to disobey that guy?"

"No, but I swear if he calls me 'dearie' again, I'm gonna chew off his leg and beat him to death with it!"

Jinx smirked.  "Don't worry, Giz.  No way this fix is permanent.  Once Slade sees how well we can work without Mad Mod, I'm sure he'll ditch this loser."

Before Gizmo could answer, a small device on his chest began to beep.  "Looks like we'll get our chance.  The other losers are loose."

"Do I even want to know how you came up with a creature that drools acid?" Cyborg asked as Robin led them down the hall.

"Dude, at least YOU don't have the aftertaste in your mouth!" Beast Boy complained, sticking out his tongue in disgust.  "I swear my taste buds are still tingling, and NOT in the good way!"

"I was most impressed with how you melted our shackles without melting us," Starfire commented.

"Speak for yourself, Star," Cyborg muttered, glaring at a tiny, smoking hole in his arm.

Robin shushed them.  "Keep it down, team.  I still can't get a response from Raven, and there's no telling what else HIVE has in store for us."

"Something tells me it's not honey," Beast Boy murmured before Cyborg smacked him.  "Hey!"

"Less joking, more keeping an eye out for traps," Cyborg suggested.

"Hey, between my eagle eyes, bloodhound nose, and your high tech sensors, what could we possibly miss?"

"Me?" asked a rumbling voice behind them.

"…dude, didn't I TELL you to check both ways for Mammoths before crossing the hall?!" Beast Boy demanded.

"Shut up and fight!" Cyborg shouted as he spun around, his sonic cannon blazing.

"Titans!  GO!" Robin ordered as he leaped at their foe.

Raven scowled as she finally came to accept that she wasn't going to win.  At least, not at the rate the fight was going.  Both her and Woolly had only managed glancing blows that did little or no damage.  There was no point to wearing herself down any further, since the HIVE brats would just come in and overpower her when she was too weak to defend herself. 

On the other hand, she couldn't just tell Woolly to stop, either.  For some reason, he believed that Jinx was her, and that Raven was…someone he really didn't like.  It most likely had something to do with the strange helmet he wore, but he wouldn't stay still long enough for her to yank it off or destroy it.

Even the part of her that held her father's taint was starting to get restless.  It was used to whatever it attacked either falling at once or in a matter of minutes.  Quick kills were the most enjoyable ones, and anything that took longer became utterly boring.

She was brought out (rather, knocked out) of her thoughts when Woolly's palm caught the side of her head.  Raven went tumbling across the floor, slamming into the wall so hard that stars clouded her vision for a few seconds.  By the time she shook them away, Woolly had already raised a foot to stomp her.

However, he never got the chance.  A blur of red and black suddenly tore through the wall and threw itself onto Woolly's back.  The huge, hairy creature roared in pain and backpedaled, clawing frantically at whatever had landed on his back.

Raven moaned as she sat up, doing her best to ignore her body's painful protests to any further fighting.  She made it to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. 

"Are you injured, Seedling?" asked a concerned voice at her ear.

Raven turned too quickly, making herself a little dizzy and stumbling back to the wall.  But, finding no one there, she reached with her mind to reply.  "Sylvan?  Where are you?"

"Never mind that now.  You must remove the helmet.  It is the only way to stop him."

"I tried that already!  He moves too fast."

"Wait until I've…distracted him.  Now!"

Raven looked over to see Woolly attempting to pin the red and black thing on his back against the wall.  Focusing her power on the helmet, she raised her hands.  "Azarath Metrion…Zinthos!"

Woolly roared angrily as the Thinking Cap was torn from his head, but the roar turned into a confused whine as his body began to shrink rapidly.

Raven sighed and sank against the wall, totally exhausted.  "Sylvan?  Are you still there?"

"I…am here, my sister," he replied uncertainly.

She suddenly became aware of a presence next to her, and gasped as the red and black creature stood over her.  It looked a great deal like a gargoyle from one of her ancient texts, save it bore her father's face.  The skin was crimson and leathery, except for the wings, which were black and riddled with holes (some of which were slowly dripping blood).  The taloned feet clicked against the floor as it approached her.

"Stay back!" Raven cried, trying to get to her feet and failing.

"Do not be alarmed, Raven," it said in a voice like gravel, reaching out to her.  "It is I.  Your brother."

"…Sylvan?" she asked uncertainly.

The yellow eyes faded to forest green.  "I am sorry.  I did not wish for you to see me like this.  But I was not certain I could rescue you without transforming…"  He looked away.  "This creature…is yours?"

Raven blinked, suddenly remembering Wildy.  She hurried over to him, and was relieved to find him glancing around uncertainly, a confused look on his face.  "Wildy?  Do you know me now?"

Recognition flooded his face at once, and he began to happily crawl towards her.  However, his gaze landed on the bloodstained slashes in her cloak, and he froze.  "Nana hurt," he said, pointing.

"Oh…that's nothing," Raven said quickly, hoping she was right.

But Wildy was shaking his head now.  "Baby hurt Nana," he whispered, his eyes growing damp.

"What?  You remember…?" Raven asked in surprise.  "No, you didn't really-"

"Baby bad," Wildy murmured sadly.  "Nana punish Baby?"  His bottom lip quivered as he stared up at her.

"Wildy, don't," she pleaded as he began to bawl.  Raven sighed and picked him up.  "I'm not mad at you, so don't cry.  I'm fine, see?"

"Perhaps my appearance upset him?" Sylvan suggested, sounding much more like himself.

Raven shook her head as she bounced Wildy gently in her arms.  "I doubt it.  I mean, he sleeps in the same bed as Beast Boy."  She was relieved to see that Sylvan had reverted to his usual appearance and looked far less sinister.  "So…why did you help me?"

Sylvan frowned at her.  "Surely you don't think I would allow you to die?"

"I don't know, you seem so interested in trying to kill me lately," she said with a smirk.

"You would never unleash your full potential if the crisis were not real.  But I would never do you mortal harm, Raven.  You are, after all, the only family I have left."

"You know you just volunteered yourself as a babysitter, right?" Raven asked.

Sylvan gave no indication that he had a problem with that.  In fact, he even reached out and took Wildy, balancing him carefully in one hand.  "He fights well for one so young.  But he lacks control and is too easily swayed.  He could prove to be more dangerous than helpful, without proper guidance.  I suspect you would be a better teacher for him than I, Raven.  You have managed to resist our father's taint much better than I have."

"Well, you seem pretty good at using it, so let's make a deal.  I teach him how to resist being controlled, and you teach him how to regain control if he loses it."

Sylvan nodded.  "That is acceptable."

"Good.  Then I guess we'll have to postpone our little rivalry for a while."  Raven shot him a curious look.  "Maybe even indefinitely."

"That is bad strategy, Raven.  If we tried to defeat Trigon together, he would turn one against the other."

"And if only one of us tries, he'll just turn that one because there's no second child to distract him.  Either way, one of us would end up dead.  I do think we should be used to fighting each other, just in case, but I also think we should be working together.  Do you honestly think he'd expect us to?"

"No," Sylvan admitted after a long moment.  "We are…two very different beings."

"No argument here."  Raven paused to check on Wildy, who had at least stopped crying, but still looked pretty upset.  "Shhh.  Everything is fine now, Wildy."

"Raven."

"Not now, Sylvan; I'm trying to-"

"Raven.  This battle is not over."  He frowned thoughtfully.  "Reinforcements are coming."

She scowled.  "They never know when to quit.  But at least you're here to-"

"I cannot help you," he said at once.

"Why not?!  What did I just say about working together?!"

"You misunderstand, Raven.  I have nothing against cooperation between us.  However, we cannot allow ourselves to rely too much on the other's strength.  We must stand alone before we can stand together.  You must fight your own battles.  I only intervened because I felt you were in mortal peril."

Raven glared at him.  "Fine.  Could you at least take Wildy to Starfire, then?  She'll be the one with…well, she'll be the EXACT opposite of me."

Sylvan nodded and carefully took Wildly from her.  "May fortune be with you and yours this night."

Robin ducked as Cyborg flew over his head and crashed into the wall.  "Cyborg!  You okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Cyborg grunted as he picked himself up out of the rubble.  "But seriously, you got another plan in you, man?  Mega Mammoth is really starting to wear down my batteries, if you get my drift."

Robin drew a length of thin, powerful wire from his belt.  "Just one more.  If we can get him off his feet, that should buy us some time.  First, we'll need a distraction."

Cyborg simply put up his hand, grinning as he caught Beast Boy easily.  "One distraction ready."

Beast Boy stopped yelling and opened his eyes.  "I could've sworn I was supposed to hit a wall…HEY!  Why am I always the distraction?!  Starfire's more distracting than I am!  I mean, she glows!!!"

"Look at it this way, shorty.  When you can toss Starbolts with the greatest of ease, then you can stop being a distraction.  Until then, make with the noise."

Beast Boy grumbled a bit, but finally turned into a seagull.  He took to the air and began to repeatedly announce his position with a loud, whooping cry.

It didn't take long for Mammoth to get annoyed and abandon swatting at Starfire in favor of shutting the noisy bird up.  He ran after the seagull, as it lead him back towards Robin, who had stretched the wire across the hallway.  As Mammoth's ankle hit the wire, he stumbled a bit, and windmilled his arms wildly in an attempt to stay on his feet.

Cyborg watched in slight annoyance.  "Rob, what I'm about to do next makes your trap just a tad ironic, but…"  He charged his sonic cannon and fired.  The blast caught Mammoth full in the chest, reversing his momentum and knocking him backwards, where he landed flat on his back with a terrific thud.

"Well…he IS off his feet," Robin admitted.  "Can't say I have a problem with that."

The seagull landed on Mammoth's head and reverted to Beast Boy.  "Forget that; this guy's out cold!  We won!"

Starfire flew in for a closer look.  "Where are Jinx and Gizmo?  Should we not be certain they are cold as well?  And what about Fuzzy?"

Cyborg suddenly glanced around sharply and typed a few commands into his arm.  "Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but this city isn't on a fault line, is it?"

"No.  Why?" Robin asked warily.

"Because my sensors are saying that we're about to have a major-"

"EARTHQUAKE!!!" Beast Boy shouted as he was thrown into Cyborg's back.

"Move it, Titans!" Robin ordered.  But the words were barely out of his mouth when the roof caved in on them.

Beast Boy pushed his teammates down and transformed into a huge turtle.  But as he drew himself inside the shell to make room for the others, he couldn't help noticing that someone was missing.

Starfire was not quite sure what had happened to her.  One moment, she'd been standing next to Robin, and the next, she'd felt herself pulled into the shadows.  But instead of hitting the wall, she'd passed through it, as if it—or Starfire herself—didn't exist.

Now she was standing outside, by herself, with no idea where she was.  Before she could even think of taking a step, the ground began to tremble.  Starfire was thrown to her hands a knees as the earth itself split open less than a few feet away from her.  She turned, horrified to see that the warehouse that still contained her teammates was being swallowed up.  She was on the verge of crying out their names when she heard a familiar laugh.

"Like shooting nandersaws in a balorfel bucket!" Blackfire laughed from somewhere above her.

Starfire looked up as her older sister continued to rain down Blackbolts on the collapsing warehouse.  Beside her was another girl, whose gloved hands were surrounded in a yellow-brown aura.

"If that's the same as shooting fish in a barrel, I agree," the girl answered.  "But I thought at least one of them would make it out in time."

"You better hope they didn't.  Each one that gets away is one more Slade will be pissed about."  Then Blackfire looked thoughtful and grinned.  "But we shouldn't worry.  As long as we get even one of them, the rest will come back for more.  They're stupid that way.  C'mon, let's see how many we can dig up."

Anger filled Starfire's heart as she began to rush them.  Suddenly, a clawed hand clamped down on her wrist.  She whirled around to see a pale-skinned creature glaring at her.  Thinking he was with her sister, she raised a hand to give him a Starbolt at close range.

Then he raised his free hand, revealing…

"Fuzzy!" Starfire cried softly as the baby was handed to her.  "You are unharmed!"  She hugged him tightly, covering his little face with butterfly kisses.

"You cannot stay here, and you cannot hope to defeat them alone," the pale creature told her, pressing something hard and cool into her arms.  "Recover and regroup, or your friends are lost to you."  With that, he vanished into the shadows.

"Wait!"  Starfire sighed, realizing he was already gone.  She looked down to see the familiar communicator with a white letter T on it.  "Is this…Raven's?" she asked, looking thoughtful.

Off in the distance, Blackfire laughed triumphantly, and yanked out a limp figure by it's torn black and yellow cape.  "Found one, Terra!  The rest are here, too!"

Starfire's first instinct was to rescue Robin, but then Fuzzy cooed softly in her arms, looking as if he wanted to be put down for a nap.  She paused, looking between the two, before finally biting her lip and retreating.  There was no way she could just leave Fuzzy and go fight, and she was not taking him into battle; that was how she'd lost him the last time.  At any rate, she would need complete focus to defeat Blackfire, and there was no telling what the other girl could do.

"I am sorry, my friends," Starfire whispered, tears falling from her green eyes.  "I swear I will come back with help and save you."  She floated into the air and flew away, staying close to the ground to avoid being spotted.

Blackfire grunted in frustration as she dragged Cyborg out.  "See if you can reach Raven."

Terra gazed down into the hole where they'd found the other Titans.  "Uh…I don't see her."

"What do you mean?  She's got to be there!  Starfire and the little monster, too!"

Terra shook her head.  "They're not here.  Maybe they were in another part of the warehouse?"

"Maybe.  We'd better check."

"Let me," Terra volunteered, raising her hands.  "If they're here, I'll find them."

The surrounding area responded instantly to her command, breaking apart into smaller, easier to search chunks.  But after an hour of searching, the only traces they found of Raven were the torn, bloody remains of her cloak.

Next Time: Starfire (along with Fuzzy) must recreate the Teen Titans to save their friends, but who can they turn to?  What does Slade have in store for our heroes? And where's Raven?

Reviews!

Blackheart Syaoran

Great update! Jinx is wearing Raven's clothes again, Blackfire makes a reappearance, and Raven is actually calling herself Nana. I like it! Keep up the good work. I'm eager to see what Terra and Blackfire mean by "dibs on Robin." Killing him, perhaps? We'll see. Cheers!

No no no.  Slade would NEVER let them do that.  Anyway, they don't want to kill him.  Hurt, torture, and then kiss, MAYBE, but not kill.  He's too cute to die.  Uh, or so I hear.  Ask Kitten, she'll tell you.

Alan Wilkinson

I'll have you know Mad Mod sounds NOTHING like a real Brit. "Wooly" (as in Wooly Mammoth) I assume) Vs. Dark Raven. Seconds out, round 2.

Oh, good.  I was hoping "sprog" and "swotty" weren't real words.  But he did throw in an occasional "luv".  And I STILL say he looks like a cartoony Elton John.

Odd thing, my computer says "wooly" and "woolly" are both spelled correctly.  And nice guess, but no.


	7. Friends In Need

Note: Thanks to Alan for all the help with the next few chapters. Anarky rules.

… is telepathic speech.

Chapter 7: In Need of Friends

Though there were plenty of rumors about it, only a few handfuls of people actually knew that the Fortress of Solitude existed. Even less knew exactly where it was located, and perhaps only a third of those knew how to gain access to it.

At this moment, though, Supergirl was wishing more people did know about it. She was terribly bored, and had been ever since Clark began insisting that she keep the animals in their pens. It wasn't her fault one of them had eaten several of his trophies. She honestly couldn't understand why he'd been so upset. After all, he was Superman! Why did he need trophies to prove how great he was, anyway? It wasn't like anyone but her and Dr. Hamilton ever saw them as it was.

Suppressing a sigh, she removed her feet from the main console and headed to her bedroom. Clark had fixed it up for her, since she spent more time here than he did.

The moment she stepped into the room, there was a soft fluttering sound as something landed on her head. Almost automatically, she reached up to stroke the furry body. "Hey, Merlin. You wanna play, boy?"

Instead of making his usual happy buzzing noise, the giant moth, now easily the size of a large puppy, flew over to her dresser and grabbed something with his tiny but powerful legs. He was the only creature Clark allowed to roam the Fortress freely, mainly because he devoured any other bugs on sight. Supergirl again wondered just where Beast Boy had gotten an oversized moth larvae, but considering Merlin was easier to look after than Clark's dog, Krypto, she could hardly complain.

Merlin dropped something small and hard into her waiting hand, and she was surprised to see that it was her Teen Titans communicator. Even more surprising was the fact that it was warbling faintly, and probably had been for some time. She'd honestly forgotten about it, since the Titans rarely ran into a situation that required her help.

"Supergirl here. What's the problem?"

There was a surprised gasp on the other end of the connection. "Supergirl! Oh, thank X'hal! I was afraid no one would respond!"

She paused, recognizing the voice at once. "Starfire? What's the matter?"

"It's horrible! All my friends were captured by the HIVE! My sister has joined forces with them, as well!"

"Sounds pretty bad," Supergirl murmured. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I am undamaged. But I am in great need of assistance!"

"Calm down, Starfire. You sound like you could use some rest. Look, can you get to the coordinates I'm sending you? I'll start calling in some favors and see who I can round up to help. Once you're here, we can get some food in you and talk about our next move." She barely heard Starfire's profuse, repeated thanks as she flew back to the main console and pulled up her address book, as well as the Justice League's current reserve roster. Before she could start calling, however, she noticed that she still clutched the Titans communicator in her right hand.

"Well, that IS what it's for," she reflected with a wry smile.

It took several minutes for Raven to realize that she was no longer inside the warehouse. Assuming she hadn't moved since then was an easy mistake, as she was surrounded by large shipping crates. In the distance, though, she could clearly make out the sound of moving water, and not much else.

Raven moved to stand, and gasped in surprise when her limbs protested the action by flooding her body with intense stabs of fresh pain. She landed ungracefully on her arm, thankful that she hadn't made it completely to her feet, or the impact would've been a lot worse. Doing her best to ignore the discomfort for now, she tried to recall how she'd ended up in such a state.

She could remember unleashing her father's taint in order to survive the last battle, Sylvan saving her, and asking him to give Wildy to Starfire. Beyond that, she only had a vague memory of sinking through the floor as the warehouse began to collapse around her. Apparently, the fight and the teleport had taken more out of her than she'd first realized. She couldn't even figure out why she'd come here, of all places.

The logical thing now was to try and find her teammates. But after casting her telepathic abilities in all directions, she was only able to find a quickly fading impression of Starfire. Her friend was alive, at least, though afraid and extremely concerned, no doubt over the whereabouts of the team. Had Starfire been calm, it would've been easier to make contact, but far away as she was, and in such a frantic state, it was too difficult to get a lock on her. Aside from that, Raven was far too tired to hold a conversation, telepathic or otherwise.

Briefly, she thought of trying to find Sylvan. She had never managed to find him before, though; he probably had access to some hidden pocket dimension that blocked psychic probes. At any rate, she doubted he would help her unless she was on the brink of death again.

Any thoughts of her brother vanished, however, when Raven became aware of someone watching her. She turned her head slightly, spotting a pair of blood-red eyes staring down at her from atop a nearby crate. Though Raven didn't consider herself easily frightened, it bothered her that she hadn't sensed anyone, and still could not detect any real thought pattern from the intruder. Either the person had no thoughts to speak of, or they were blocking, and usually she could discern both right away.

Things only got worse when another pair of red eyes showed up, followed almost instantly by a third. By then, Raven had decided that despite her weakened state, she wasn't being taken without a fight. After mentally shutting off her pain receptors, she made it to her feet, feeling lightheaded and little else. The pain was still there, of course, but her body was no longer aware of it, at least. It was much harder to do so than usual, but she coated her fists with dark energy and waited for the first attack to come.

It never did. Apparently either impressed or startled by her ability to stand, the red eyes had vanished. Still, Raven did not relax her guard, and felt rather justified when someone touched her shoulder. She whirled, prepared to hurl a bolt of dark energy directly at whoever had grabbed her. What she was not prepared for, however, was for a small hand to move swiftly up and grasp her wrist in a grip like steel.

"Put that away or I'll do it for you," the girl dressed entirely in black ordered.

Raven had no intention of doing so, but then the girl squeezed slightly, and Raven was shocked to feel about half the energy from her fist drained directly into the girl's fingers. Even more startling was the fact that the girl's voice seemed strangely familiar to her, yet she could not remember ever fighting this girl.

The girl was apparently thinking the same, because she suddenly gasped and stepped back, cursing softly in disbelief as she let go of the captive wrist. "No way. Is that you, Ray?"

Any answer Raven had vanished as her legs finally gave out on her. She fell backwards, only to be caught by a pair of thin, deceptively strong arms. Immediately, she began to struggle.

"Relax, Ray," the girl said in a soothing tone. "He's with me." To some point above Raven's head, she added, "You be careful with her, ET. Looks like she lost a fight."

Raven began to protest, but a soft, warm hand cupped her cheek gently. "Hush. I'll take care of you, I promise." She was not quite sure what to make of that, but Raven was tired, and anyone who wanted to kidnap her wouldn't have been this nice about it. Her eyes drifted shut as she went limp, hoping she could trust these people. Honestly, her night had been rough enough as it was.

"You realize that you've failed me," Slade said quietly.

Terra looked thoroughly ashamed, but Blackfire was close to indignant.

"I asked you to bring me the beast. Instead, you bring me Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg."

"The beast, Raven, and Starfire were gone," Blackfire replied. "They must have escaped."

"One would think that impossible, between two young women who rule both the sky and the ground."

"You shouldn't have sent those HIVE flunkies in first," Blackfire snapped. "If they'd actually kept the Titans busy like they were supposed to, nobody would have escaped."

"Be that as it may, three did escape, the one I want among them. What I want to know is what you two intend to do about it."

"Absolutely nothing. Starfire's way too loyal to just abandon her friends. She'll come to us, assuming we give her a signal to follow."

"See that you don't fail me again," Slade said softly, reaching out to stroke Terra's hair in an oddly tender manner. "That would not be…healthy for either of you."

"Is that a threat?" Blackfire challenged.

The eye that was visible in his mask blinked slowly. "Of course not, my dear. It's a promise."

Supergirl sighed in frustration, pacing in front of the console. "Amazing. There really IS never a superhero around when you need one. Well, one that's free to help us, anyway."

"You are having trouble gathering back-up?" Starfire asked in a worried tone as she carefully rocked Fuzzy to sleep.

"Yeah. Aqualad is trying to defuse a power struggle in Atlantis, Speedy is stuck in an alternate dimension with Larry, and everyone else is busy with other things I won't go into. So unless I can remember any other people that owe me favors, I hope you know someone."

"Perhaps Thunder and Lightning will aid us, if I tell them there is chaos to be wrought," Starfire murmured.

"Um…okay," Supergirl said slowly. "I'm gonna try my JL contacts one last time. I mean, they can't ALL be thwarting Darkseid's latest attempt at universal domination. At least, I hope not. You keep thinking of anyone else you can call on. I don't suppose you have any siblings nearby that aren't bad guys?"

Starfire shook her head sadly.

"Well, don't give up," Supergirl encouraged, squeezing her new friend's shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "We'll think of something."

"I hope so," Starfire whispered, hugging Fuzzy tightly.

Raven woke up in a bed that was far too large for anyone she knew, including Cyborg. The bedroom was luxuriously but sparsely decorated with artifacts that were probably individually worth millions. A digital clock beside the bed reported that it was nearly three in the morning.

Deciding to test her limbs, Raven slowly slid out of bed and stood up. She felt much better, but still a little tired. A little more sleep and some food would probably fix that, she reasoned, and perhaps a little exploration of the house to satisfy her curiosity.

She had only taken a few steps when she noticed two framed photos on the bedside table. The first was obviously of the girl who'd found her, along with two older men. Raven brushed her fingers lightly over the surface, and the imprint she found indicated they were all family. The next photo, however, shocked her to no end. The same girl was there, as well, but this time she had her arms around someone that was all too familiar.

It took a few minutes for Raven to accept that she was indeed staring at herself in the photo. After that, a flood of memories seemed to hit her all at once. She suddenly recalled everything about the girl: how they met, how long they'd known each other, and why it was so odd for them to run into each other again.

"I didn't mean for you to see that," said a voice behind her. "Of course, if I'd known I would run into you last night, I would've put it somewhere else."

"Actually, I'm glad I found it," Raven admitted as she turned around. "I had convinced myself that this part of my life didn't really happen. That it was all a dream."

"It kinda was," the girl agreed. "Too good to be true and all." She looked away. "As good as it is to see you, Ray, I'm guessing you won't want to stay long."

"I do, but I can't," Raven replied. "My friends are in trouble, and I could use your help."

"Are we talking money help or butt-kicking help?" the girl asked.

"Definitely the second kind. I need to track down this guy called Slade. And I need to find Starfire."

"Is this somebody you can take on by yourself?"

"It wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe once I find Starfire, we can-"

"You're not going anywhere without me," she said firmly. "All we've been through aside, you're not at full strength. Something tells me this Slade guy is pretty good if he can mess with your team. I'll see what I can dig up on him. In the meantime, you go back to bed. When you're feeling stronger, you can try reaching Starfire with your mind. But only after you've rested."

"Yes, Mom," Raven answered with a smirk.

"Very funny. But let's get one thing clear right now, Ray." The girl leaned closer so that their noses were almost touching. "If I have to lose you again, I want it to be because you walked away, not because somebody turned you into a bloody stain on the ground. I refuse to lose anyone that way."

"You've changed, Jade," Raven said slowly.

"No, I haven't," she replied. "I've just gotten better about protecting what's mine. So long as you're in my house, that includes you. Now go to bed."

When Beast Boy finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was the scent of applesauce. The realization that he was starving made him realize how long he must've been knocked out. He licked his dry lips and glanced around. From what he could see, he was lying on his back, secured to an operating table. Nearby, Cyborg was slumped over a similar table, clearly offline. Seeing his metal body lifeless and without the usual light made Beast Boy very uneasy.

"He's okay," said a voice somewhere beyond his head. "We just turned him off for a while."

Beast Boy's head snapped to the left as a small boy walked into view. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

The boy looked down at him calmly, chewing loudly on something. "Joey." He held up a large bowl of applesauce with graham crackers sticking out of it. "Want some?"

Though he had no reason to trust the boy, the sheer innocence and kindness of the offer stirred something within Beast Boy. "Sure. Thanks."

Joey scooped up some applesauce with a graham cracker, and then stuffed it all into Beast Boy's mouth. "You can have more. I got plenty."

"Um…Joey," Beast Boy said after swallowing the first bite. "What are you doing here?"

"Guard duty. I'm s'posed ta watch you guys." Joey gestured vaguely to the other side of the room, where Robin was floating in a tank of green fluid. "Blackfire was testin' him earlier. Agility an' stuff, I think."

"Blackfire?! You mean she's here?!" Beast Boy cried.

"Yup. She works for Dad now. Her an' Terra."

"Guess I know who brought down the house, then," Beast Boy muttered. "Wait, who is Terra?"

"The pretty girl who works for Dad." Joey leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I think she's really his girlfriend."

For some reason, Beast Boy thought it best to ignore that little tidbit. "Joey, we're buds, right?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. But I can't let you go. Dad said so."

Beast Boy sighed in frustration. "Dang."

Jade chewed her lip thoughtfully as her fingers danced across her laptop's keyboard. With a sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes. "Man, some people just don't want to be found."

Jade, can I ask you something? a familiar voice tinged with annoyance asked.

She jumped a little; it'd been so long since Raven had touched her mind. Sure, Ray. What is it?

The three weird guys with red eyes and ninja gear. They work for you, yes?

Uh huh. Why?

Make them go away. Protection is nice, but not when I need to use the bathroom.

Right. Sorry. With a mere thought, Jade summoned the three ninjas before her. "Guys, how many times do I have to tell you? Guard duty does NOT include bathroom breaks. Anyone who wants to take a leak on our watch does so at their own risk."

When the three looked at each other with blank expressions, she sighed and sent them away. "Sure, martial arts is second nature to them, but manners and body functions they don't know about." Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I wonder what Shendu did when he needed to take a dump. Or maybe that's why he was always in such a foul mood."

"Who's Shendu?" Raven asked as she appeared behind Jade.

"Major ancient baddie," Jade replied absently, staring at her laptop. "Don't phase through my floors; I thought you were a lost Shadowkhan."

"You mean the creepy ninjas? They don't have any thoughts."

"No, they run on instinct, orders, and common sense in battle. Anything beyond that is rocket science. And I'm guessing there weren't any rockets back when they were created."

"They're not exactly alive, then, are they?"

"Well, they're not exactly dead, either," Jade answered. "I'd notice if they were. Things tend to smell when they're dead. You tried contacting Starfire yet?"

"I'll try now." Raven closed her eyes and began to search for any of her teammates. This time, she picked up a faint imprint from Beast Boy, but there was too much interference to make contact, as if his thoughts were being shielded somehow. Starfire was still worried, but had calmed down enough to where contact was possible.

Starfire, can you hear me? I'm-

RAVEN!!!

She winced and sighed. Could you think a little quieter, please?

Forgive me, but I was worried! You are undamaged? I feared you were captured with the others!

No, I'm fine. I'm…with a friend, Raven sent, glancing at Jade. Is Wildy with you?

Yes. There was a very strange man in white who-

Never mind him. Where are you right now?

There was a brief pause. I believe Supergirl called it a fortress of some sort.

Raven blinked. You're in the Fortress of Solitude?! With Supergirl?

I believe that is the correct name. Supergirl has agreed to help us rescue our friends. Unfortunately, we are having trouble gathering allies. She will be pleased to know you can help now.

I'll be there as soon as I can, Star. I think I may know a way to get us some extra help.

We will eagerly await your arrival. There was a short pause before she added, Please be careful, Raven. I don't think I could bear to lose any more friends…

Raven couldn't help smiling as she sent a wave of reassurance to her friend. Don't worry, Star. Finding myself is one thing I've gotten good at. She opened her eyes to find Jade staring at her.

"I'm guessing you found her?"

"Yes, but I need another favor," Raven replied.

"Good, because all I could find out about your Slade is his last name: Wilson. Anything beyond that, somebody went to great lengths to get rid of."

"You remember when you once told me you were connected?"

Jade gave her a wary look. "Yeah. So?"

"Are all of those connections legal?"

"Are you going to arrest me if I say no?"

Raven smirked. "No, I'm going to ask you to use one of them."

"Well, I MIGHT have one," Jade said, turning back to her laptop. "Or fifty."

Next Chapter: Terra vs. Robin (in damn near nothing!), even MORE guest stars, and an incredibly awkward moment for Raven! BE THERE!!!

Reviews!

Amethyst

One of the obvious choice of recruits would be Aqualad. He's hot.

Actually, he's liquid cool. And his being "hot" might have more sway with me if I was a) gay, or b) a girl.

Raven4Ever

I LOVE it! Keep writing! (you can contact me at )

I don't do Neopets anymore, I'm a Pokemaniac through and through. Glad you like the story, anyway!

Raven A. Star

YAY! Finally you updated! Wooly...er...Fuzzy...er...the baby dude is back to normal! Please update ASAP! And where's Raven? She had better be okay or I'll...hmm...what will I do? thinks I'll get back to you on that one. XD

Please. Raven is my goddess, of COURSE she's okay. No need to threaten me...or think about it, anyway. Wildy thanks you for your devotion. Especially since Baby Etrigan's fanclub started up.

JLU Quotes o' the Week

Lil' Green Lantern: (watching a love spat between Batboy and Wonder Girl) Man, for someone with like fifty kinds of vision, you are SO blind!

Superboy: What?!

Lil' Green Lantern: (watching Wonder Girl threaten to tell on everyone) Your girlfriend sure is bossy.

Batboy: Shut uuuuuup!

Wonder Girl: (after burping Baby Etrigan) See, that was all he needed.

Lil' Green Lantern: (holding his nose) Aw, man, that ain't all he needed!

Batboy: (backing up) This DEFINITELY looks like a job for Superman.


	8. Keeping Enemies Closer

Notes: Odd how people keep requesting the Titans I decided NOT to use... Yes, this has turned into a crossover of sorts. You can blame both my artistic license and Alan for that. Obviously, Jade is a BIT older, but how much is up to your imagination, mostly. On a different topic, would a Cyborg/Raven buddyfic be weird? It's haunting me…

Chapter 8: Keeping Enemies Closer

The dog's ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. Its eyes opened slowly, warily scanning the room for the intruder's approach.

The door opened slowly, and a tall, red-cloaked figure strode into the room, golden cane in hand. "Relax, Yap. Just me." Absently, it reached down to stroke the dog's head with a heavy, gloved hand.

The dog whined softly and settled down, closing its eyes again. The Master was home, and all was well.

The next few minutes were filled with the sounds of battle gear thumping heavily to the floor. Though the gear was finely crafted and mostly clean, there was none of that precision in the way it was quickly discarded.

Fatigue had finally eaten away at the maker, and the reality was beginning to catch up with him. One man could only do so much. One boy...well, the verdict was still out on that.

But then, Lonnie Machin had never had much faith in the legal system.

Suddenly, the sanctum was breached by low, soft bell chimes.

"Screen up, active Caller ID," whispered a weary voice. "Unless it's top priority, MAX, take a message." He turned away, even as the wall split open, revealing a massive computer monitor.

"Caller identified," noted a computerized voice at once.

"Sender IDed as: Black Dragoness."

"Oh." The voice dropped to an annoyed growl. "HER." There was a brief pause before the headpiece was scooped up. "On screen, MAX. Volume low. I have a headache, and this call will only make it worse."

The screen lit up, revealing a grinning face. "Big A! Long time no see! I interrupt some brain fusion?"

"Jade," he muttered. "This had better be important."

"Right. Remember how you owe me for Etrigan not flaying the flesh from your bones and stuff?"

"What I remember is how YOU led the demon to me in the first place!" he shouted, slamming his cane into the floor.

"Okay, okay. BUT! Who gave him bigger fish to fry at the last sec, allowing you to get away relatively flay-free?"

"If anything, I'd say YOU owe ME, for allowing you to keep this number. I'm going to hang up now, Jade."

"Fine then. Hold a grudge! You prolly aren't up to the high-level hacking this job would require, anyway..."

His finger paused an inch away from the End Call button. "Don't waste my time. You know I'm the best hacker you have access to."

"I dunno. The Bat works faster, AND I don't have to pay him."

He snorted. "Don't insult me! I could type circles around him. Batman isn't even in my league."

"Did I say THE Bat? I meant the Batboy."

That was, of course, either the right or wrong thing to say. Hackers were a proud people; the better they were, the prouder they became. And by insinuating that a sidekick was better at hacking, even a Bat-taught one... Well, it was a low blow.

"I'm better than Robin. I'm better than them both!"

Jade grinned smugly; she knew she had him. "Then I got two words for ya, Big A: prove it."

"Okay, best three out of five!" Supergirl insisted.

"I am still not sure what the purpose of wrestling arms is," Starfire said.

"It's arm wrestling, and there's only one purpose: to win! Now, come on!"

"But have I not achieved the purpose with my previous two wins?"

Supergirl scowled at her. "You're winning. You're not supposed to want to quit yet."

"Forgive my lack of enthusiasm, but I am still worried about Raven."

Supergirl rolled her eyes and muttered, "That's what I was trying to keep your mind off of." Aloud, she asked, "Why worry? She said she was okay, right?"

Starfire looked down. "Raven is not one to share her problems. She may have exaggerated to avoid my concern."

"And yet here you are, still concerned," Supergirl pointed out. "Assuming she knows you that well, I don't think she'd bother lying right now. She knows you're going to worry no matter what."

"I suppose you are right," Starfire sighed.

"Look, we can't do anything until she gets here, so we might as well entertain ourselves. If you feel like pounding something, I think I've got some warbots in the back that still work."

"No. I would rather see Raven."

There was a dry chuckle behind them. "Amazing. I never want to hang out with her, and she still misses me when I'm gone."

Starfire's eyes lit up with joy as she turned and launched herself at the visitor. "RAVEN!!!"

Raven's reply was lost as Starfire tackled her, hugging her tightly and spinning them both through the air.

"I was so worried!!!"

"I noticed," Raven gasped. "Can I have some air now, please?"

Starfire relaxed her grip only slightly. "Oh, Raven. They have taken our friends! I thought...you had..." She trailed off, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Raven felt a slight pang of guilt as she carefully touched Starfire's cheek. "I'm fine, and we'll get them all back. I promise."

Starfire nodded silently and let her go. It was then that she noticed the person behind Raven. "Who is your companion?"

"Well, you MUST be Starfire," the girl said, looking the alien girl up and down. "I'm getting a toothache just looking at you."

Raven coughed and cleared her throat. "Starfire, Supergirl, this is Jade. She's...an old friend."

Jade cleared her throat rather loudly.

Raven shot her a look. "A CLOSE old friend."

Jade smiled, apparently pleased. "Nice to meet you."

"You do know your friend is considered a living weapon in forty-seven states, right?" Supergirl asked with a frown.

"Forty-six," Jade corrected. "They dropped the charges in Alaska. And in my own defense, most of the time, I never actually physically hurt anyone."

"Yes, well, I suppose summoning demons is the art of one who likes to keep her hands clean."

Jade smirked. "You're just mad cuz I could kick your butt without touching you."

Supergirl stepped forward, but Raven grabbed her shoulder. "No. Jade is here to help."

"Are you sure we need her kind of help, Raven?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "Unless you're hiding the rest of the JL down your shirt, I'd say yeah."

Supergirl opened her mouth to reply, but Starfire interrupted her. "You will help us save our friends?" she asked eagerly.

"Sure," Jade replied. "Any friend of Ray's is a friend of mine."

Supergirl and Starfire looked at each other in confusion, and then at Raven. "'Ray?'"

Raven closed her eyes. "This is going to be a LONG day, I can just tell..."

Robin's head snapped up as the blond girl stepped into view. He glared at the tan T on her shirt. "Is that supposed to be a sick joke?"

"I like to think of it as irony," she replied. "I have to say, I didn't think it would be this easy. Slade said you were the best. I think he was wrong."

He merely stared at her, as if waiting for something.

"I can only wonder how Starfire and Raven got away."

"As long as you have to wonder, you'll never beat us," Robin said.

"Oh, really? Why don't the two of us go right now and see who gets beaten?"

"I won't fight you."

"Why? Because I'm a girl?"

"No. I don't know if you're doing this because you want to, or because Slade isn't giving you a choice."

She smirked. "Either way, I'm about to kick your butt. You can take it sitting down or standing up. Doesn't matter much to me."

There was plenty of time to dodge, but Robin didn't move until her fist crashed into his jaw, knocking him back a few feet.

"Doesn't taking a dive go against your hero's code or whatever?" she asked playfully.

His eyes narrowed. "Funny you should mention that. If I go down, my friends will just get tougher. If you go down, Slade will get tougher...on you."

"Thing is, I don't plan on going down." She lunged at him again, easily landing a stiff punch to his shoulder.

Robin stumbled back, but stayed on his feet. "There's no reason for us to fight."

"You keep telling yourself that. It'll be easier to break your friends, after I tell them that you didn't even put up a fight." She grinned at him. "Not that it matters much. Slade will probably off them just for being so annoying. Can't say I blame him, either."

The next time she charged, Robin was ready, easily ducking under her punch. She was clearly surprised, because by the time she was able to stop herself and turned around, the heel of his boot was crashing into the side of her head, sending her tumbling to the floor.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't care," he said flatly. "No one threatens my team."

She stood up slowly, glaring at him. "Aw, did I hit nerve? Guess I'll just have to rip it out!"

"You can try," Robin answered, motioning her forward.

With an angry yell, she charged again, suddenly diving low and throwing all her weight at his right leg. He barely managed to twist away in time, but her shoulder still clipped his knee, and he went down, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out.

The girl was panting as she got and stared down at him. "Get up. You're not hurt that bad. Not yet, anyway."

"You're going to regret this," Robin swore as he stood up carefully.

"You gonna make me?"

Robin smirked. "No. But you will. Trust me."

"Talk is cheap," Terra snapped as she ran at him.

Raven rolled her eyes as the guard scrambled to his feet and saluted before quickly unlocking the gate. "I bet you get that reaction all the time," she muttered to Supergirl.

"Yeah. But I can't tell if they think I'm cute or if they're scared. Does a lot for my confidence either way, though. C'mon, she's down this way. I just hope this works."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Well, no offense, Raven, but I trust Jade's hacker about as much as I trust Jade herself. Which is not at all, I might add. Do you really know her well enough?"

Raven sighed. "I understand your concern, but I think the real issue is, do you trust me enough to trust her?"

"Raven, you know I do! But you're not a criminal in contact with another criminal that's helping us break out ANOTHER criminal."

"No, but I vouch for the first criminal, and you're vouching for the last one, right?"

"Sort of," Supergirl admitted. "At least, I know she'll help if I promise her a few things."

"Nothing too unreasonable, I hope?" Raven asked.

Supergirl flashed her a grin. "You'd be surprised, the little things that these people really want."

As they walked down the long corridor, Raven recognized several of the names posted on the doors from the Tower's records. It was hard to think of any of them as allies, and she suddenly knew exactly how Supergirl felt about Jade.

They stopped at the last cell on the right side, and Supergirl slid away the small panel that was at waist height. "Hey. Want some exercise?"

"That you, Blondie?" asked a sleepy voice within.

"Yeah. You promise to play nice, and maybe I can get you out for a little while."

"Still tryin' to turn me into a good girl, huh? You know that's a lost cause."

Supergirl rolled her eyes. "You want out or not, Leslie? I'll owe you."

"I want my sentence cut in half," she said at once. "And a REAL interview with Supey. No holds barred."

"You know he hates even being in the same city as you, much less the same room. But I'll meet you halfway. I'll do the interview myself."

"Okay. I'm all yours, Blondie. But you don't think they're just gonna let me walk outta here?"

"You let me worry about that," Supergirl said, drawing back her fist. "Stand clear." With one punch, she flattened the steel reinforced door.

Raven peered into the cell. "She looks like a truck ran over her."

"They keep her heavily sedated. So she won't cause trouble."

"She's that dangerous?"

"She's that loud. Constantly." Supergirl walked in and carefully picked up the prisoner. "Raven, say hello to Livewire, our newest teammate."

"Temporarily," Raven and Livewire said at once.

"Oooh," Livewire murmured, grinning at Raven. "I like her."

"You like anyone with enough estrogen and a pulse," Supergirl remarked.

"So why can't she carry me?"

"Because I'm used to you fondling. She might take it personally."

"Too weak to fondle," Livewire pointed out. "They never let me juice up."

"Well, you'd break out if they did."

"What's your point?"

Supergirl shook her head and started back down the hall. She had only gotten to the next cell when Livewire stopped her.

"Hold on, Blondie. Gotta say bye." At the top of her lungs, she shouted, "HEY, RED!!!"

"Hey, Blue," came the casual reply from the nearest cell. "You walking?"

"Yeah. Be back in a few. Tape Howard Stern for me?"

"You got it. Good luck, Les."

"Seeya, Rudy!" She blew him a noisy kiss.

"Friend of yours?" Raven asked, glancing at the name on the cell.

"Yeah, Rudy's cool. We watch TV together. Well, he watches, and turns it up loud enough so I can hear."

"Sounds like a keeper."

"He's sweet, but his first love is TV. Radio's my thing. It'd never work." Livewire paused, winking at her. "Why, you interested?"

"Down, girl," Supergirl said mildly. "At least let us get outside first."

"She's just jealous," Livewire whispered to Raven.

"Well, time to see if Jade's hacker is any good," Supergirl murmured as they approached the guard station again.

Predictably, the guard was nothing short of indignant when he spotted Livewire. "HEY! What do you think you're doing?! She's not allowed out of her cell! EVER!"

"I think you'll find she was just put up for parole an hour ago," Raven said. "We're authorized to take her into our custody. Check if you don't believe me."

Frowning, the guard ducked inside the station and checked his computer. He emerged a moment later, looking a bit sheepish, and somewhat wary. "Well, the system does say that, but…"

"Be honest with yourself. Do you really want her here any longer than she has to be?"

The guard looked at Livewire, who was grinning merrily at him. He looked back at Raven, and replied without hesitation, "Have a nice day, ladies."

"You owe Jade an apology," Raven said the instant they were outside.

Supergirl glared at her. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"Honestly, I could care less. But you don't know Jade, and she's going to hound you until you apologize. Trust me, it's better to just get it out of the way as soon as you see her. Otherwise, you're in for a migraine like you wouldn't believe."

"Think I like her, too," Livewire sighed. "Any chance you dolls could fly through a thunderstorm on the way to wherever we're going?"

Starfire had not made up her mind whether she should be happy Jade was going to help, or suspicious of her motives, like Supergirl had been. Computers were still a mystery to her, so she had made little effort to go through the Tower's files, and consequently had no knowledge of Jade whatsoever. It had occurred to her, though, that Raven had left them alone in the Fortress so they could get to know each other.

Currently, Jade was using the Fortress's computer to familiarize herself with the HIVE agents and Blackfire. Starfire was not sure that Supergirl would appreciate Jade resting her black boots on the console the way she was. Jade seemed to have never heard of privacy, as she'd even explored Supergirl's room. Whatever her intentions, all she'd managed to do was let Supergirl's giant pet moth out. Instead of attacking them for being intruders, though, the moth had contentedly perched on Jade's head and remained there as she browsed through the files.

Starfire watched from a distance for a while, before finally deciding to engage Jade in conversation. Wildy was asleep in Supergirl's room, so there was little else for her to do.

"Jade? How did you and Raven meet?"

Jade didn't look away from the screen as she answered. "I thought you'd get around to asking that. Actually, she tried to bust me for stealing a book from a museum. Said book contained ancient spells intended specifically for world destruction and the like, so I thought maybe I should keep it safe, or at least destroy it. Only Ray took the book from me, and I tracked her down, planning to take it back. I never really did get around to finding out what she did with it."

"Why is that?"

"Because when I found her, she had red eye times four and was ten feet tall. I could've asked questions, but I decided to just kick her shadowy butt and ask questions later."

"I am having trouble understanding how you became friends, then."

Jade laughed. "I used a combo of martial arts and chi spells to stun her, then I flooded most of the bad chi out of her with an overdose of good chi. I thought it would probably kill her, but it just calmed her down. Something in or about the book made her go all creepy, so I assume she got rid of it. After that, we just kinda…I dunno, started living together."

Starfire stared at Jade's back in shock. "What?"

"It made sense at the time. She was still pretty new to the world at large, and she needed someone that could keep her in check, if she went creepy again. I missed having partners, so it was perfect. We had an understanding, and for a while, it worked out fine."

"Then what happened?"

"She got scared. Started saying instead of helping her maintain control, I was making her lose it. I didn't understand then, but I do now. I was too close to her. She couldn't afford to get attached to anyone, for fear that she might hurt them. And even though I was one of the few people best equipped to deal with her dark side, she wouldn't stay. Wouldn't let herself stay, really. I have no doubt that she wanted to, but she cared about me too much, and that was the problem. She seemed convinced that she wasn't supposed to care for anyone at all. Ever. But I guess she's changed her way of thinking, if she joined you guys. Maybe what she really needed was a support group, instead of just one support."

"Raven is still very private," Starfire said. "But she trusts us, and we trust her. She is our friend."

"That's good. She needed friends. I'm glad she finally saw that." Jade sighed a little. "Can't help but feel a little jealous, though."

"She did not stay in contact with you?"

"Sure. But keeping in contact with isn't the same as being with. Maybe I'm just being selfish, but when I first saw Ray again, I could only think one thing. 'Finally. Finally, she's mine again.' It's crazy, but I want her back. I'm not even sure why just yet."

"Perhaps you have been alone for too long?"

"Maybe. I have missed being a team player. I just hope I'm not feeling this way for the reason I think I am."

"What reason is that?"

"Can't tell you. Well, shouldn't. You might tell her, and I really couldn't deal with her knowing right now. So I'll keep it to myself. Nothing personal. Actually, it IS personal. Very. So I can't share."

"I understand," Starfire said simply as she walked away, still reeling from the conversation.

Jade frowned thoughtfully when Starfire was gone. Talking about it had made her feel a little better. It was best to remember the old times, and remind herself that there could be no future with both her and Raven in it. Not because it was dangerous, but because it just wasn't healthy for either of them. Anyway, Jade had done some stupid things in the past, and had supposedly learned from them. Why, then, did she experience the same feelings of joy and reassurance every time she looked at Raven? Certainly the feelings weren't coming FROM her, and Jade really hoped they weren't what she feared they were.

Getting close to Raven had been impulsive and foolish. Going beyond that, even without intending to, was downright stupid. The problem was that, despite all her confidence in her abilities, Jade was feeling something she hadn't felt it a long time.

To put it simply, she was feeling pretty stupid.

"This is Summer Gleason with your evening weather. As you probably know by now, our fair Gotham City is in the midst of some strangely powerful thunderstorms. Better start making those rain checks now, Gothamites, because you do NOT want to be outside when these storms start kicking up again later tonight."

Batman paused the feed and leaned back in his chair, frowning thoughtfully.

"Honestly, Bruce. We're in the middle of a war with Mongul, and you're watching the weather?" Wonder Woman asked as she walked up behind him.

"That isn't a normal storm front," Batman replied. "Not for Gotham, not for anywhere. And according to the last feeds I checked, they're popping up in two other places. Either of them seem familiar?"

Wonder Woman's eyes widened as she looked at the map he was holding. "That one's right on top of the Fortress of Solitude! And this one-"

"Is at Titans Tower," Batman finished for her. "Whatever's causing them can't be a good thing. I'd hate to be there when they all meet up."

"You think this could be the start of a natural disaster?"

"There's nothing natural about it, Diana. But we can hardly put our fight on hold. We'll just have to trust that the Titans can handle this on their own."

Next Chapter: Livewire charges up, but can she be trusted? Jade has an idea to toughen up Wildy, but can she be trusted? Plus, a new hero enters the mix!

Reviews!

TheDarkAzar

Go Raven! This is getting good...although I'll probably hate the embarressing part. And make Raven kick Blackfire's butt! I HATE BLACKFIRE!!

-I see you're going by the comic version of Terra where she likes Slade. One of my own characters were like that. No, twice. The second time was a good thing, but the first was just for a little bit of vicious humiliation for Slade and my character. Ter was a bad guy, and so was Slade in that one. Wait-oh. Right. cough cough My bad! Nice story, and thank you for not making Raven fall in love with someone! I made the big mistake of reading one of those. Exactly half a chapter later I stopped reading, my arms wrapped around me straightjacket style. Lol. Keep writing, or I'll have my character Luna go wolf on you! -Hee hee, my joke.

Raven would have more of a score to settle with Jinx (for turning Wildy on her), and Starfire might be better suited for the kicking of her sister's butt.

I've been combining elements of the show and the comics. Mind you, Terra did a LOT more than just LIKE Slade in the comics. You could argue how touchy they got on the show, behind the scenes, etc., (not counting when he hit her), and I'd be hard-pressed to disagree. I see Terra as not wanting to be alone, and Slade providing what she thinks she needs: discipline, companionship, and someone to be proud of her. I'm just hinting as far as the story is concerned, but I'd like to think TV Slade only shows Terra affection to get a better grasp on her loyalty, not to get his white-haired mack on (comic Slade has always been an older man, but in great shape). It's more likely Terra's crush is one-sided in that respect, but that Slade encourages it solely to better hold her as his apprentice.

I don't think Raven can't fall in love, just that it would be extremely dangerous and difficult if she did, so that she usually wouldn't. Sure that story you read wasn't Titans: Revealed?

(I recommend reading the classic "The New Teen Titans: Judas Contract" for more info on Joey, Terra, Slade, and the Titans themselves)

Telekinetic Raven

You are doing a Jackie Chan Teen Titans Crossover? Not exactly my choice but it is still pretty good. Keep it up!

Don't worry, only Jade and her three stooges will be showing up from that show. I won't say this crossover is limited to JC, though I will say EVERYONE else is a DC character...

kosumi

Shendu? Shadowkhan? Is that JADE from Jackie Chan?! hahhahaha... das weird. Isn't she like 9 or something?! Woah... das crazy... well I hope you can explain their whole relationship in the next chapter. When you said gueststars... i thought they would be from the show or the comic books. But crossovers are fine too. Great chapter. Please continue!

Glad to see you know your JC history. Aside from Jade, all other guest stars will be DC characters. But realize that I encompass a LOT of sources when I write. I'm a big fan of the old comics, not just the newer ones, and I draw from both. Not only that, but I'm taking shows into consideration (JLU, Batman/Superman Adventures, etc.)

As for Jade (she's not 9 anymore) and Raven, I explained a lot THIS chapter. But more is sure to come. Don't worry, ALL my Titans stories won't end up like Titans: Revealed. That was largely an experiment. And maybe that's not a good word to use…

Amethyst

Meh... He's still hot. blinks Jackie Chan Cartoon crossover? Cool...

I'm sure His Liquid Coolness is rather fond of you, too. He told me so. As he was on his way out. Of the fic. Forever. Sorry...

As for the crossover...I can neither confirm or deny that. Legal technicalities and all. You understand. :)

kosumi

I LOVE this fic!! really awesome. I'm really enjoying it!! I'm so amazed at how you manage to fit in all these characters! You also make it very easy to read and not at all confusing! I'm really liking your character Sylvan also, and I'm gald he's not becoming a marysue. I can't wait for the next chapter... hey... anyway you could add in Aqualad and Speedy? They're both favorites of mine!! Anyways, AWESOME AWESOME fic. Keep it up!

Glad you like the fic. Sylvan is very powerful, but people who can knock you over with a finger aren't all that mysterious, so I gave him limits and personal problems to make him more interesting. Guess it worked. Sorry, Aqualad & Speedy aren't on the guest list as of now. They're busy, remember? The flimsy excuses were there for a reason. And they were more MY excuses than theirs. ;

Trivia Fact: I'm surprised Cyborg was able to get away with moonlighting as Stone, but not for the reason you might think. As it turns out, there's a MARVEL Comics character named Stone with the exact same powers (well, his aren't a hologram). The main difference being that Marvel's Stone is a bit older, white, and the last time I saw him, bleeding on his shower floor, (he wasn't in stone form at the time) courtesy of Sabretooth. Someday, these government idiots have to learn to stop trusting that guy...


	9. Into the Storm

Notes: Still reeling from the sudden deletion of "The Anime World." I mean, it'd only been there, what, three years? ... Anyway, it WAS in violation of several things, I guess. Only I'm pretty sure it wasn't at the time I uploaded it, so maybe they changed the rules since then. Anyhow, on with the story.  
  
Chapter 9: Into The Storm  
  
As the thunderstorm raged above them, Wildy pressed his face into Supergirl's neck and whimpered. She patted his furry head and murmured soothingly into his ear. "It's okay, little guy. This will all end as soon as Livewire's done."  
  
"Is it wise to provide her with so much power?" Starfire asked as Merlin fluttered around her head. "The last time we battled foes who commanded thunder and lightning, they proved most difficult to defeat."  
  
"To be honest, Livewire's no good to us unless she's charged. Which will make her a lot more obnoxious, but extremely useful, too. She's not just limited to tossing lightning around, she can literally become entirely electric. Assuming this Slade has any sort of computers, she could fry them in two seconds flat."  
  
"Then you trust her with your life?"  
  
Supergirl paused. "There's no question she's dangerous; she nearly killed Superman more than once. But I've been visiting her since she got put away, and I'd like to think that if she'd listen to anyone, it'd be me."  
  
Starfire gave her a confused look. "I am not sure if that really answers my question."  
  
"It doesn't," Supergirl clarified. "The moment she fries any one of us, feel free to say you told me so. All I can say is that I want to trust her, even if comes back to bite me in the butt."  
  
"Careful what you wish for, Blondie," Livewire chuckled as she stepped into the room. "My ears were burning, and not just from all the power I took in."  
  
"I take it you're done, Leslie?"  
  
Livewire shook her head and chucked Supergirl gently under the chin. "Codenames when we're on the clock. Otherwise I won't feel like part of the team." She noticed the bundle of fur in Supergirl's arms. "What, they make shivering teddy bears now?"  
  
"He does not like loud noises," Starfire explained, patting his head.  
  
"He like light shows?" Livewire asked, forming an electric blue smiley face in mid-air.  
  
Wildy raised his head a bit and cooed.  
  
"Smart kid. I--HEY!" Livewire ducked as Merlin soared straight at her head.  
  
"Sorry," Supergirl said, handing Wildy to Starfire and snatching her moth out of the air. "Like any moth, he really likes pretty lights."  
  
"That a fact or a thinly veiled compliment, Blondie?"  
  
Supergirl rolled her eyes. "Fact. He likes Starfire's eyes, he likes your skin. The whole world isn't drooling over you, believe it or not."  
  
Livewire grinned. "I'm still a shock jock at heart. You get used to all the attention. So, who's this Slade I've heard absolutely nothing about?"  
  
Robin was carefully checking his leg for a strained muscle when Slade appeared.  
  
"Robin. I trust you behaved like a gentleman for Terra?"  
  
"She's no lady," Robin replied firmly.  
  
"I thought the pleasure of Blackfire's company might be a little...extreme for you, without your friends to assist you."  
  
"Say what you want, Slade. There's no shame in being beaten by a girl that trained under you. Especially when she's got her own collection of bruises from the fight, too. Or did you happen to miss the black eye Terra was sporting?"  
  
"I trust you won't be as rough with your next opponent. Welcome to the demise of the Teen Titans, Robin."  
  
Robin's eyes narrowed as a green tiger appeared beside Slade, growling softy.  
  
Slade chuckled. "Tell me, Robin. Who would you prefer to do battle with now? The lady, or the tiger?"  
  
"As if I have a choice," Robin snapped, getting to his feet. "Terra's in no shape to fight, anyway. And whatever you've done to Beast Boy, I'll figure it out."  
  
"But can you stop it while fighting for your life? I think not."  
  
The tiger snarled and leapt at Robin, claws outstretched and fangs bared.  
  
Supergirl had never been to a strategy meeting that was less informative. Raven and Starfire could only offer what they'd learned from their past encounters with Slade, the HIVE Academy, and Blackfire, but not what they all had in common (other than illegal activities and hating the Titans). Nor did they have any details about Blackfire's unknown partner.  
  
"Okay, so we know next to nothing about why they're together and what they're up to. Do we at least have any ideas on how to find them?" Supergirl asked.  
  
Starfire shook her head. "I am afraid that our friends' communicators have been deactivated."  
  
"I haven't been able to sense them, either," Raven added. "Slade probably found a way to block telepathic probes."  
  
"So what?" Livewire snapped. "Don't tell me you girls sprung me just to sit around in an ice cave and look pretty. You can't tell me that none of you has a little bag of tricks to reach into and pull out a miracle. Heck, that's the only reason I was doing time, anyway. You stinkin' goody two shoes never know when to quit."  
  
There was silence for a moment, before a lone voice rang out.  
  
"I might have an idea or two."  
  
They all turned to stare at Jade, who was holding up a glowing green blowfish.  
  
"You have GOT to be kidding me," Supergirl said at once.  
  
Jade stuck her tongue out. "Well, while your super ears are still listening out for a cry for help, MY locator spell will be locking in on the missing Titans. That is, assuming someone has something that belongs to one of them."  
  
"I don't suppose unwavering loyalty counts?" Starfire asked hopefully.  
  
Jade shot her a surprisingly patient look. "Nice try."  
  
"Well, there is one thing," Raven murmured, picking up Wildy.  
  
Jade grinned. "Sweet!"  
  
"This won't hurt him, will it?" Starfire asked with concern.  
  
Jade shrugged. "Nope. As long as he doesn't eat the fish, anyway. Kinda been in the family for a while."  
  
Terra glared at the wall st she carefully fingered her bruised cheek. "Stupid Robin," she muttered angrily.  
  
"It's not his fault you suck at dodging," Blackfire pointed out. "You underestimated him because he doesn't have any powers. But you forget that since he doesn't, he relies on his own natural abilities, so he has to be that good."  
  
"I didn't see you and your alien strength trading blows with him."  
  
Blackfire smirked and patted Terra on the head. "Slade didn't tell me to. Besides, you're the one that's still in training. I don't need to fight him. You just better hope Joey leaves enough Boy Wonder for you to play with."  
  
At that moment, the door slid open, and a green wolf slunk into the room, its mouth dripping with saliva and blood.  
  
Terra started at once, but Blackfire barely batted an eye. "So how'd it go?" she asked.  
  
The wolf dropped lifelessly to the ground, and a young boy appeared in front of it, drenched in sweat.  
  
"I made him scream. But he wouldn't beg."  
  
"Well, that's Robin for you. Can't expect to break him the first time around." Blackfire tousled his blond hair affectionately. "Good job, kiddo. Your father should be very proud."  
  
"Thanks, Auntie Blackfire." Joey walked over and took Terra's hand. "I made him hurt for you, Terra."  
  
Terra grunted; she'd gone back to glaring at the wall ever since Blackfire had mentioned Slade.  
  
"Better leave her alone for now, kid," Blackfire advised, taking his other hand. "I think her pride's hurt worse than anything else. Give her some time to cool down."  
  
Joey reluctantly released Terra's hand and allowed Blackfire to practically drag him out of the room.  
  
Terra waited until she could no longer her their footsteps before turning around. She walked over to the wolf and gave it a good kick.  
  
"Well, maybe I can't beat Robin," she said at last. "So I think I need a sturdy punching bag to unleash some of this aggression. Any volunteers?"  
  
The wolf did not reply, so she picked it up by the neck and rapidly punched the muzzle until her fist came away wet.  
  
"Oh, good. I was hoping you'd say yes." Terra grinned widely and drew back her fist once more.  
  
"You've seen her work magic before?" Supergirl asked quietly.  
  
Raven nodded as they watched Jade draw a chalk circle on the floor around Wildy. "In every sense of the word. Jade knows what she's doing." She frowned as Wildy started to venture outside of the circle. "Stay put."  
  
He froze and stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. After a second, he backed up and became interested in something between his toes.  
  
Supergirl smirked. "I see you have him on a short leash."  
  
"I figure someone has to, since everyone else just babies him. Yes, I know he IS a baby, but I was learning control when I was even younger. There's no reason he can't, especially if he's as smart as I think he is."  
  
"Well, with all due respect, Raven, what are the chances he's demon spawn?"  
  
"Considering the whole werewolf syndrome? Pretty good, I'd say. Even if he isn't, he has a wild side that needs restraint. He's killed before and he was duped into nearly killing me."  
  
"That's funny," Supergirl remarked, giving her an odd look. "I don't see that when he looks at you, or when you look at him."  
  
"No?" Raven asked.  
  
"No. I see two creatures who have a lot in common and honestly care about each other. Of course, I'm no telepath."  
  
Raven sighed. "What's your point?"  
  
"Instead of snapping at him, maybe you should explain to him why he shouldn't do certain things. I mean, he's one of the few kids that would probably understand logic, right? I bet he'd listen to you."  
  
"I hate when you make sense," Raven muttered. "But I'm doing this under protest."  
  
Supergirl grinned. "Sure you are."  
  
Raven walked over to Wildy (being careful not to disturb the circle) and knelt next to him. "Look, Wildy. See the nice lady in black with the chalk?"  
  
Wildy glanced up from his toes. "Dwagon Wady," he said at once.  
  
Raven frowned. "What? No. Auntie Jade."  
  
"Dwagon Wady," Wildy insisted, giving her a confused look.  
  
"Why do you keep-" Raven paused as Jade got her attention, then stuck out her tongue, resulting in a tiny but visible beam of fire shooting across the cavern and slamming into the wall.  
  
"Dwagon Wady," Wildy pointed out, sounding amused.  
  
"Dragon Lady," Raven agreed with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, she's going to help us find our, um, family. So you have to stay put while she's working, okay?"  
  
Wildy nodded and went back to picking at his toes.  
  
Raven hesitantly reached out and rubbed his head. "I don't mean to snap at you so much. It's just..."  
  
"Baby understand," he interrupted. "Nana keep Baby good. Baby be better. Pwomise."  
  
"Oh. Thanks." Raven blinked a few times. "Good boy." She went over to Jade, who was grinning. "I thought you said you gave back all the talismans?"  
  
"I did," Jade said, looking insulted. "But I never said anything about not borrowing a tiny bit of their power."  
  
"So what else can you do?"  
  
"I don't get sick and I can make dolls dance." At Raven's irritated look, she added defensively, "Hey, don't act like you've never done it."  
  
"What are you, a patchwork of stolen powers?"  
  
"Borrowed powers," Jade said firmly. "I have every intention of giving them all back."  
  
"Really. When?"  
  
"When I start eating mung bean sandwiches for enjoyment instead of my health, that's when. Now stand back so you don't get caught in my zashu."  
  
"Need any help?"  
  
"Nah. Just stand over there looking cute and broody like always."  
  
"I am NOT cute, Jade, nor have I ever BEEN cute."  
  
"You never could take a compliment," Jade sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Let's see some real fightin' now, you lot! I've seen more action in a Mother Goose rhyme!" Mad Mod shouted.  
  
"Can't you turn him OFF?!" Jinx shouted as she tossed a hex bolt at Gizmo.  
  
"Shove it, ya stinkin' crud sniffer!" Gizmo shot back, laughing as a barrage of missiles fired from his backpack.  
  
Jinx cartwheeled out of the way, only to get run over by Mammoth, who then leaped into the air and slapped Gizmo to the floor hard.  
  
Mad Mod nodded his approval. "That's more like it, my duckies. Keep it up!"  
  
Jinx slowly and painfully picked herself up, eyes flaring violet as she watched Gizmo struggle to evade Mammoth's huge hands. "I. Have. HAD IT!!!"  
  
Gizmo had just flown out of Mammoth's reach when a violet bolt struck his pack. He screamed in surprise as he dropped to the ground like a rock, only to be hit by another bolt that stunned him.  
  
Mammoth whirled around, growling as he charged at her. He hadn't gotten far when violet chains wrapped around his entire body and pulled so tight that he could barely breathe, much less move. It took a few seconds, but he finally fell, gasping for air.  
  
"No more practice!" Jinx shouted, glaring up at what she knew was yet another hologram of Mad Mod. "That's all we've been doing for the last six hours!"  
  
"Don't you throw a hissy fit with me, sprot! You lot are the ones who fouled up the warehouse job! Slade's mad enough as it is with your attitude getting in the way!"  
  
"Yeah? Then why doesn't HE come down here and make me train?!" she yelled.  
  
"Is that an invitation, my dear?" Slade asked as he stepped into the room.  
  
Jinx glared at him. "You know it wasn't my fault the job went sour! I did everything I was supposed to!"  
  
"True enough. But your team still failed to defeat the Titans."  
  
"That's because Mad Mod made me and Gizmo stay behind while Mammoth took on the rest by himself! Of COURSE he failed! And there's no way you can blame us for HIS helmet not working!" she cried, pointing at Mad Mod.  
  
"Are you implying that if I had left you in charge, the operation would've been a success?"  
  
"I'm not implying it, I'm SAYING it!" Jinx shouted.  
  
Slade didn't miss a beat as he said, "Very well. From now on, you're in charge of these three. Every failure and success will be in your name."  
  
She blinked a few times, obviously not expecting that answer. "I am?"  
  
"Be warned, the penalty for failure will be much more severe. Do we understand each other, my dear?"  
  
"Um...yeah," Jinx said slowly.  
  
"Hey!" Gizmo shouted angrily as he scrambled to his feet. "What about me?!"  
  
Slade turned to look at him. "You will all follow any orders Jinx gives you. Should you fail to obey them, she will punish you as she sees fit."  
  
Gizmo grumbled to himself as Slade left the room.  
  
Sensing her teammate's (former teammate, now subordinate, actually) jealousy, Jinx flashed him a half smile. "Don't worry about it, Giz. Nothing's gonna change. This way, we'll get more respect from Slade."  
  
The boy genius glared at her, not saying anything.  
  
Jinx used her powers to break Mammoth's chains. She couldn't help smiling a bit when he came to and backed up a bit, staring at her warily. Still, he eventually accepted her offered hand as she pulled him up (more a gesture than anything else, considering their differences in weight).  
  
"This is the big time, boys. Now, let's show Slade and the Titans that we mean business. But first things first." Her eyes flared violet, and the power-boosting collars around her and Mammoth's necks faded away.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" Mammoth asked, scratching his neck.  
  
"If we're going to make it, we're going to do it on our own."  
  
"You didn't take his," Mammoth pointed out, nodding at Gizmo's collar.  
  
Jinx shrugged, nudging Gizmo good-naturedly. "I figure it was nothing he couldn't have made in a few days, anyway. There'd be no point in taking it from him."  
  
Gizmo was still angry, but he knew a compliment when he heard one. "So what now?"  
  
"I always thought three was too small a number. Five would be better."  
  
They started to leave when Mad Mod appeared in front of Jinx.  
  
"Say, luv," he said, a little nervously. "You wouldn't be forgettin' about ol' Moddy, would you?"  
  
"Of course not," Jinx said brightly. "You're fired."  
  
"Hey, Livewire," Supergirl said quietly, pulling the former supervillain aside. "When you powered up, you sent the storm away afterwards, right?"  
  
"Yeah, why?" Livewire asked.  
  
"The computer's saying there's a big storm moving in. And it's a bit too much like one of yours to be a coincidence."  
  
Livewire frowned. "You don't trust me?"  
  
Supergirl shook her head. "It's not that. What I'm asking is, can you check it out? Make sure it's nothing we need to worry about? I mean, this project is already being held together by string and bubble gum as it is. We don't need an unscheduled storm messing things up."  
  
"Can do, Blondie. But is there any reason why you're not letting anyone else in on this?"  
  
"I don't want to distract them from Jade's little ceremony. Let's just say I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself."  
  
Meanwhile, high above the glaciers not too far from the Fortress of Solitude, a lone, masked figure soared through the sky, leaving a trail of supercharged air in his wake. His eyes narrowed as they swept across the landscape, searching for anything out of the ordinary, anything that might indicate that a super-sized secret lay beneath it...  
  
Next Time: Livewire meets her match, the HIVE trio holds a recruitment drive, and Slade's crew gets some unexpected visitors.  
  
Various Notes:  
Remember that it was an alternate version of Supergirl that brought Wildy to this world, which is why he finds comfort in any version of her.  
Livewire, or Leslie Willis, used to be a shock jock, or a radio personality, if you prefer. She really HAS come close to doing Superman in, on her own and teaming up with Parasite (remember Rudy.  
Chi spells (the ones Jade knows, anyway) actually do usually require random objects, from various animals to things found around the house.  
Being "good" (in Wildy's mind) is his current state, being "bad" is when he transforms (and does bad things like turn people into sidewalk stains.  
The talismans Raven refers to were temporarily guarded by Jade's family, and each stone was marked with a symbol of the ancient Chinese Zodiac: dog, rabbit, rooster, horse, dragon, pig, sheep, rat, ox, and snake, to name some. Jade has borrowed powers from the following: horse - expels foreign presences from the body (or heals sickness), rat - gives motion to the motionless (which was used in the past to make dolls and statues come to life), and dragon - shoots destructive fire blasts. Near as I can tell, mung beans are old people food (Jade's great? uncle ate them a lot.  
"Zashu" is actually a spoken component of a chi spell (not necessarily a locater spell, but the only word I could even begin to guess at spelling)  
Raven being "Broody" is actually a pun, but I won't tell you why if you already know.  
Gizmo actually is a technological genius, Mad Mod only specializes in illusions and hypnotism.  
  
Reviews!  
TheDarkAzar Could you put in Flame Bird? She is so cool.  
Yeah I guessed about Jade. Jackie Chan is something I despise with a will but hey! At least is isn't something like South Park...I actually saw that...I was so freaked...  
  
Nope. At the moment I have no idea who that is, but I guess I could look.  
Well, now you've ruined my plan of having Cartman defeat Slade with an alien satellite-boosted fart.  
  
TheDarkAzar Sorry, I'd've reviewed sooner but for the cruel computer dictators...my parents...anyway, I have no idea which one it was all I know is that some people should be barred from this site...namely whoever wrote Robin, my Houkinin...I got out of that story faster than you could say "lemon". My god that author had a sick mind! I like this story...you got BB right on characterXD -Yes, Slade is a sly one, isn't he?  
Although it kinda scares me because I saw a Raven/Red X fic. Where in holy Azarath did THAT come from?  
  
It's not such a stretch. They both dress in dark colors, both of them know Robin, all their names start with R... Who am I kidding, that's no reason! I dunno, maybe it was sheer boredom. But I could see Raven trying to unmask him...only to find Larry underneath. Ewww... 


	10. A Lad Among Lasses

Notes: Good God. Didn't realize was editing out some things, mostly ellipses (which I use for awkward pauses) and the squiglies that I use for telepathy. Not that you could've told me either way, since you didn't see them, but anyway.  
  
Chapter 10: A Lad Among Lasses  
  
Livewire grinned as she launched herself into the cold air, feeling the wind whip at her body. As a purely electric being, she had little to fear from the arctic temperature. While she had been capable of flight for some time, she had not felt freer since the day she first became Livewire.  
  
Of course, some of that was an illusion. She wasn't free, not really. Supergirl would be keeping her on a long but firm leash for a while. Livewire was surprised to find herself admitting that she didn't have a big problem with that. Supergirl was one of the few good guys that wouldn't lord over her like she was a piece of trash. That same courtesy hadn't been extended to Jade, she'd noticed, but that was hardly her problem.  
  
She pushed her reflections aside as she sensed a rather large source of electricity heading her way. It seemed Supergirl had been right to worry about this storm; none of them knew exactly what was involved in Jade's chi spell, and bad weather could mean trouble. But it was no real reason for concern, Livewire could easily direct the storm elsewhere (and steal a little extra power for herself in the process).  
  
However, she never got the chance to start. While Livewire herself retained a somewhat humanoid form, she had come to think of storms as living things, servants to her will. She had run into very few that she couldn't control or affect with her powers. Of course, she only thought of them as alive, none of them had heartbeats.  
  
This one did.  
  
While she was trying to process that little fact, the storm rolled over her, and a sphere of electricity formed around her, slowly shrinking until she'd be forced to try and break out. But Livewire merely smirked and allowed her body to break up into ting lightning bolts, easily flowing through the sphere. Someone obviously had no idea who they were dealing with, and she intended to find out who. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
Presently, a kneeling figure became visible within the dark clouds. A Mighty Ducks cap and a pair of yellow goggles hid most of his face, but the little of it Livewire could see was surprisingly dark--dark brown, in fact. She wasn't sure what surprised her more: that she'd run into her first black superhero, that his powers were roughly the same as hers, or that he actually thought he could beat her.  
  
She easily flowed around him, and if he noticed at all, he only turned his head sharply for a moment, and then looked straight ahead. Chuckling to herself, Livewire decided to have a little fun with him. She reformed her body behind him and draped her arms around his neck. "Hey, flyboy," she purred in his ear. "You looking for me?"  
  
He spun away at once, a mix of shock and fear in his eyes as he raised a fist glowing with blue-tinged electricity. He started to swing at her, and then paused as he got a good look at her.  
  
"Oh, I get it. Your mama raised you not to hit girls, huh? Well, okay, then." Livewire raised her own fist, grinning widely. "You can tell her I said hi after I send your butt back to her!" She dove at him and slammed her fist into his chest.  
  
The boy made no move to dodge, obviously assuming he could just absorb the hit. He was VERY surprised when her hand passed through his skin, and even more so when Livewire released the stored charge inside his body. His body shuddered and seized up, going limp as he began to fall from the sky.  
  
Livewire caught him easily. "Guess you've still got a lot to learn, kiddo. You're just lucky I'm in a good mood, or I would've done worse than that."  
  
Gizmo grumbled slightly as he put the finishing touches on Blackfire's little science project. She hadn't explained what it was for or why she needed it so soon, but he hadn't had much choice when Jinx made it an order. Then she'd taken off with Mammoth to do something else entirely.  
  
Well, at least there was entertainment, Gizmo reasoned as he watched Terra began to pound Beast Boy's head into the wall again. Honestly, either there was something addictive about hurting him, or something was REALLY off in that girl's head. Not that Gizmo cared one way or another, as long as he finally got to play around with Cyborg's systems after all this busy work. Even boy geniuses needed to have fun sometimes.  
  
The first thing he noticed after regaining consciousness was a shapely thigh right next to his head. But after realizing who it was attached to, he practically leaped off of the table, only to have what felt like a vice close over his wrist.  
  
He turned, sighing in relief as he recognized the person holding him. "Supergirl?"  
  
She nodded, letting him go. "Static. I didn't think you'd show."  
  
"I wasn't going to, but a date can--uh, I mean some time unexpectedly freed itself up on me, and you sounded like you could use the help." His gaze shifted nervously to Livewire, who was grinning at him. "Is this your problem, by any chance?"  
  
Supergirl sighed. "No, but I can see why you would think that. Static, meet Livewire."  
  
"We've met," Livewire purred, "up close and personal."  
  
"Yeah, and a little too much of both," Static muttered, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Aw, is it cuz I'm older? That just means there's so much I could teach you," she teased.  
  
"Are you SURE she isn't the problem?" he asked again.  
  
Supergirl rolled her eyes. "No, but she's getting there. Let's rejoin the others so Static can get an idea of what we're up against." She glared at Livewire. "I'm not against interracial dating or anything, but do you think you could keep your hands to yourself until this blows over?"  
  
"So I'm allowed to do this, then?" Livewire asked, shooting a tiny bolt at Static's butt.  
  
"HEY!" he shouted indignantly, but there was a definite flush to his cheeks.  
  
"What? I didn't have a quarter!"  
  
"You know, in some places, that's called sexual harassment!"  
  
"That an invitation?" Livewire asked with a cheeky grin.  
  
Supergirl was about to break them up when a hairy fist the size of a small person smashed through the wall.  
  
"Lemme guess. Your problem?" Static muttered.  
  
"No, but I'm starting to consider adding to the list," Supergirl sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"You did WHAT?!" Raven shouted a few minutes later.  
  
Jade shrugged. "I kicked up the locater spell a notch or two."  
  
"How is being the size of a small building going to help him locate anything?! That was NOT part of the spell!"  
  
"Well, THAT part's in case he needs to smash anything. But as we get closer to the Titans, he'll sprout big golden horns. Can't miss 'em, really."  
  
"You couldn't have told me this up front why?!"  
  
Jade shrugged again. "You would've said no. It's not like his size is bothering him."  
  
Raven looked at Wildy, who was currently just under ten feet tall and playing pattycake with Starfire and Supergirl. This was no surprise, since they were the only ones that wouldn't be sent flying across the cavern by his strength.  
  
"Jade, you're already on thin ice with these people. This isn't going to make them think you're trustworthy!"  
  
"I don't care what THEY think, Ray, I care what you think."  
  
"Well, right now, I'm not too happy with you, Jade."  
  
"Look, you said he couldn't control when he transforms. This way, he'll stay big all the time, and I can just undo the spell whenever you want. Simple!"  
  
"Are you insane?! He can't STAY that way! Where would we put him?!"  
  
Supergirl jogged over to them. "No offense, Raven, but if Jade's spell really works, we can worry about where to put Wildy later. Push comes to shove, he can stay here in one of the habitats."  
  
"See?" Jade said. "I did good!"  
  
Raven frowned. "The verdict's still out on that one."  
  
"Take that, brother!" Lightning laughed as perched atop the power lines. "Even you cannot stand against Lightning's might!"  
  
Thunder chuckled as he rose to his feet, brushing off his armor. "We shall see, my brother." He prepared to bring his hands together and deliver a powerful thunderclap.  
  
"Silly boys. So typical," said a voice above them.  
  
Both brothers looked up to see a girl floating lazily above them, reclining on thin air.  
  
"Who dares to interrupt and insult my brother and I?" Lightning demanded, forming a bolt in his hand.  
  
The girl smirked. "Oh, just your new boss, that's all. You can start worshipping the ground I float above now."  
  
"I think we should introduce her to the ground!" Lightning growled. "What say you, brother?"  
  
Thunder didn't have to answer. For once, he and his brother were of the same mind. As one, they struck.  
  
The girl watched the two attacks come at her with faint amusement. In the end, it was only light and noise, and easily taken care of. She raised a hand, and a violet sphere surrounded her body.  
  
The brothers looked on in surprise as their attacks were stopped, and then hurled back at them with even greater speed. However, the sphere's surface had shifted at the last moment, so that each brother was on the receiving end of the other's attack. With soft groans, they fell to the ground, barely conscious.  
  
"Like I said," Jinx giggled as she touched down between them, "you work for ME now."  
  
"Never," Thunder groaned, raising his palm to unleash his power.  
  
Jinx sighed. "Good help is so hard to find. That's why I always bring my own big guy."  
  
A massive foot came down on Thunder's head, knocking him out cold.  
  
"They went down too easy," Mammoth complained. "You sure you want them?"  
  
"They'll do fine, with the proper motivation," Jinx replied.  
  
"You know, I've never been one to rag on heroes that don't have snazzy transports or anything," Static said, "but I REALLY hope nobody's star gazing tonight."  
  
Raven shot him a look. "Well, excuse us for not having a trash can lid the size of the Atlantic Ocean!"  
  
"I'm just saying it'll be next to impossible to explain this if we're spotted!" Static added defensively. "At least we could pass off a trash can lid as a UFO."  
  
Raven had to admit that he was right. Supergirl and Starfire had rigged something of a huge harness to carry Wildy between them, which left her to carry Jade while Static and Livewire brought up the rear. And on second thought, neither of those living night lights were doing anything to cut down on their visibility. Although it wouldn't hurt the UFO ploy, either.  
  
"Well, at least his horns are growing," Raven muttered.  
  
"Does this mean that somewhere out there, there's a she-beast gettin' her Animal Planet freak on?"  
  
Raven smirked. "You had to read Shakespeare in school, huh?"  
  
Static ducked his head. "Yeah, just never thought it would apply. Well, not like THIS, anyway."  
  
"If you're not used to weird coincidences like that yet, you haven't been a superhero long enough. I bet years from now, you'll be wondering what you passed up with Livewire."  
  
"Assuming I don't sacrifice myself heroically over the next few days, you mean."  
  
"Don't even joke about that. We'd never hear the end of it if we let Livewire's perfect man die."  
  
"I can NOT be the only superhero with electric-based powers!"  
  
"Well, no. But Livewire loves a good scandal, and being linked to you would be fairly big. 'Bad Babe Bags Black Bodyguard' and all."  
  
Static smirked at her. "Oh yeah? How 'bout 'Teen Titan Tags Along with Talisman Thief' for the morning edition?"  
  
"We're just friends," Raven said at once, glaring.  
  
"Yeah. I can tell by the way you've got that automatic response on your speed dial. But you hit me back when you're ready to be real."  
  
Raven muttered something under her breath.  
  
"Defensive much, Ray?" Jade asked softly in her head.  
  
"Only when it comes to me. And you. And us. So yes, but thanks for noticing."  
  
"Would being linked to me really be so bad?"  
  
"No. But I like being able to deny things. You lose your power when people know the truth."  
  
"Enough," Slade said quietly.  
  
Blackfire stopped and looked in his direction. "So?"  
  
"There are indeed marked improvements, but they are momentary at best. You lack precise control, son."  
  
Joey appeared in front of Blackfire, drenched in sweat as he fell to his knees. "I can't help it, Dad. She's so strong..."  
  
"That is one reason why we had this special sun room built, my son. With time, you should be capable of exerting complete control over all her abilities, not just agility and strength. If you can do that, Starfire should present no problems."  
  
"My sister is an annoyance, but not a problem," Blackfire said. "Let me worry about her. Joey can handle any others. They don't know about him yet."  
  
"A worthy challenge. However, I do not enjoy inviting chances for failure. Underestimating the Titans is exactly why we haven't captured them all. Jynx's team will be on standby as a precaution. I understand they've taken on some new members, as well."  
  
"Great!" Blackfire chimed in. "The more surprises we have for the Titans, the better!"  
  
"Could I practice with Terra again?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't think that will be possible for some time," Slade replied. "Terra has become...rather obsessive about her training. It wouldn't be wise to disturb her."  
  
"She's still with Beast Boy, isn't she?" Joey asked, a dark look coming over his face.  
  
"I assure you there's no need to be jealous," Slade said, touching the boy's shoulder. "I'm quite sure her interest in our green friend is purely professional." he paused as an alarm went off.  
  
"What's that?" Joey asked.  
  
"It would appear that Raven and Starfire have finally come for their comrades. Prepare to welcome them."  
  
"With pleasure," Blackfire murmured.  
  
There was a front entrance to the clock tower, but the remaining two Teen Titans didn't use it. Instead, they let Wildy make a door for them...with his fist.  
  
Naturally, this approach went unnoticed by no one inside. Slade's sensors had already confirmed two airborne intruders, and of course he'd expected them to bring Wildy along.  
  
But that was all he'd expected.  
  
Jade couldn't help but be amused by the fact that she was hugging Supergirl. Of course, that was only so she wouldn't set off any hidden alarms, and because she couldn't fly (not without certain spells, anyway). But it was still kinda funny, so she couldn't resist just one joke.  
  
"Have you hugged your heroine today?" she whispered.  
  
"Shh," Supergirl hissed absently as she flew down the corridor. "The walls have ears."  
  
"Why did we have to come through the sewers?" Static complained.  
  
"We're the bad guys," Livewire replied.  
  
"YOU'RE the bad guy, you mean. I didn't do anything!"  
  
"S'what you get for flirting with Raven."  
  
"I wasn't! I was making conversation!"  
  
"Yeah, and they stuck you with me. Next time, just keep your trap shut and do what the girls tell you."  
  
"Won't matter what I do," Static muttered. "I'll never get another date smelling like a sewer."  
  
Livewire rolled her eyes. "If you're gonna whine about it all the time, I'll go out with you."  
  
"Stop making it sound like you're doing me favor! I can get dates on my own!"  
  
"Do they all cancel on you?" she asked innocently. "At least you know my schedule's wide open."  
  
The next few minutes passed in silence, and Static wasn't sure what was worse: that he was actually considering Livewire's offer, or the certainty that it would be the most exciting date he'd ever been on.  
  
"Hurry up, Sparky!" she called, noticing he'd fallen behind.  
  
"It's Static!" he snapped.  
  
"Whatever, Sparky, just move it!"  
Next Time: Starfire faces her sister one-on-one for Robin's freedom. Raven takes on Terra for Beast Boy. Wildy stands alone against Jynx's team. Plus, the new Titan alliance begins to crumble when no one can be trusted.  
  
I don't want ANY questions about who Static is, he comes on the SAME channels as Titans and JL. Ok, mostly kidding about no questions. BUT he does. AND he USED to have a comic book. On a side note, he wore a different ball cap every issue (including the Mighty Ducks one), it just didn't transfer into the show. And he DID ride garbage can lids, but I can see why THAT didn't make it.  
  
Oh, and Sammypaws: How could NOT know who Supergirl is?! That's just plain inexcusable, even if you HAVE been living under a rock! Next you're going to tell me that you didn't know Superman died that one time (well, prolly SEVERAL times by now, anyone knows that, but that's my whole point!). 


	11. True Colors

Notes: Thanks for all the support, despite some dislikes. There is a vague South Park reference hidden in this chapter (just to annoy one reader). Easy to miss, as it's not a dirty phrase. If you find it, Beast Boy will lick you in a place of your choosing. Or Starfire will hug you. Twice!

Chapter 11: True Colors

"Raven? Can you sense anyone?" Starfire whispered.

"No need to whisper, Starfire. They can hear you just fine."

"That's so like you, Raven," said a voice above them. "Always so direct. You just have to suck the fun out of everything, don't you?"

"That's your opinion, Jinx. But if you come down here, I promise at least one of us will have a lot of fun."

"Aw, still sore about the last time I beat you?" Jinx asked as she bathed her body in violet light. She grinned at Wildy. "Hey, Woolly! Don't you remember your Mama anymore?"

Wildy snarled and prepared to leap.

Raven placed a steady hand on his wrist. "No, Wildy," she said softly. "Not yet."

Wildy continued to snarl, but settled down after a few soothing pats from Raven.

Jinx scowled. "You ruined him! He was the perfect killing machine! Lucky for me Slade found someone even better."

Raven could sense another mind in the room, but it seemed to be all around them, and she couldn't get a definite fix on it. Suddenly, the floor itself seemed to come alive as it opened up and swallowed her whole.

"RAVEN!!!" Starfire screamed, but before she could move, she was tackled hard to the ground.

"Hey, baby sis," Blackfire laughed in her ear. "Nice running into you! Let's go for a little walk."

Starfire tried to break her sister's grip, but for some reason, Blackfire seemed to be even stronger than the last time they'd fought.

Blackfire grinned as she dragged her sister away. "Like my increased strength? Been trying this new workout program. Does wonders for muscles, don't you agree?"

Wildy tried to go after Starfire, but found himself surrounded by Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo.

"Let's dance, Bigfoot," Mammoth growled.

Jinx and Gizmo shared smirks at that as all three closed in on Wildy.

----------

Static blinked as Livewire grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the sewer. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Livewire asked as she glanced around what appeared to be a storage room.

"That spark, when we touched."

"Oh, that." She shrugged. "When we touch, we share energy. I guess we're both too used to absorbing and releasing it not to. Kinda tickles, huh?"

"Doesn't feel bad," Static admitted without thinking.

"Imagine what it'd be like if more than our hands were touching," she added with a wicked grin.

He shook his head. "I thought it was guys that were horny 24-7?"

Livewire tapped his nose lightly. "Keep hanging out with me, Sparky, and I promise you will be."

----------

Raven slammed into a wall so hard that she saw stars for a few seconds. As they faded, she could just make out someone with blond hair, cold blue eyes, and a confident smirk standing over her.

"We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Terra, the last person you'll ever see. And this happens to be the last thing you'll ever see, otherwise known as my fist."

Raven's head hadn't cleared enough for her to see the approaching fist, but she still erected a shield of dark energy fast enough that Terra punched it instead of her head.

Terra frowned at her. "Cute. But you're not the only one around here with powers."

"You noticed?" Raven asked sarcastically. "Maybe you're not dumb as a rock, then."

Terra's eyes flared golden. "Funny you should mention rocks."

Raven cried out as something sharp struck the base of her neck, making her stumble into Terra.

"What's everyone got against rocks, huh?" Terra snapped as she locked her arms around Raven in a fierce bear hug. "I think they're awfully useful. They make easy-to-care-for pets, and they're great for smashing unwanted pests. Don't you agree?"

Raven struggled to break free for a few moments, and then decided to try the same trick Terra had seconds before, levitating a rock and hurling it at Terra's head.

But despite the fact that the rock was coming from behind, it halted inches from Terra.

"I see you don't get how my powers work, Raven. I'm one with the earth. Which means if you throw a rock at me, I don't have to see it to know where it is and stop it."

Raven glared at her. "Oh. Thanks for clearing that up. But tell me something. If all you can control is earth, then what are you going to do about THIS?!" Raven reared back, scowling as she brought her head forward quickly in a vicious headbutt that left both their skulls throbbing as they stumbled away from each other. Normally, Raven was above fighting dirty, but she figured Terra was only moments away from it herself. Anyway, that bear hug had REALLY started to hurt.

"Didn't see that coming," Terra muttered, rubbing her forehead. "But that's the last cheap shot you get."

Raven's ears were still ringing, and so she didn't notice when Terra's fists began to glow. She did, however, hear something that sounded an awful lot like a wounded giraffe, and dove aside in time to avoid a boulder as big around as her slamming into the dirt.

Even as she scrambled back to her feet, Raven finally sensed another mind within the room, and she looked high up to see something distinctly green hanging limply from a ledge.

"Beast Boy!" she shouted, at once forgetting about Terra.

There was no response, and that scared her worse than she'd expected. But she had no time to dwell on it as Terra's foot connected with her already bruised ribs. Raven sucked in a shriek of pain and spun away, gasping desperately for breath.

"Guess you prefer green freaks to rocks as pets," Terra commented. "But if you want yours back, you have to beat me. Simple, right?"

Raven quickly ran through her options as she studied her opponent. If Terra was as closely connected to the earth as she claimed, then maybe crushing a large amount of rocks would drain her. Of course, Raven currently had neither the strength nor the time to attempt that.

She could try to fight Terra off in hopes that Beast Boy wasn't was hurt as he'd first seemed, but planning on an assist at this point didn't seem wise. He wasn't even speaking to her mentally, which indicated how hurt he really was.

The only real option was to wear Terra down, or at least stall until someone else could help. But considering that Terra hadn't been thrown into a wall, there was little doubt in Raven's mind who would win such an endurance test. If Terra was working for Slade, she could probably go on like this for hours if need be, and Raven had no intention of prolonging her own suffering if the end result was still defeat.

"How can I stop her?" Raven asked herself. "I can't afford to waste any energy on something that might not work. Whatever I do, it has to incapacitate her long enough for me to get Beast Boy to safety. But she's so strong. What's her weak point?"

The problem was that Terra hadn't really shown any weak points. The moment she'd entered the room, the blonde had been confident, proud, in control, and very much able to back up all her boasts. While she had gotten chatty about her powers and definitely said more than she needed to, Raven was in no position to exploit that. Her only hope now was that Terra might slip up and unknowingly reveal some other weakness while singing her own praises.

"Something wrong, Raven?" Terra teased, her fists glowing again. "You don't look so confident anymore."

This was true enough, but not for the reasons that Terra assumed. For as the girl began to access her powers again, Raven had finally found a chink in her armor, so to speak. Whenever Terra reached out to manipulate the earth, she literally spread her consciousness out, placing tiny bits of it into whatever she was moving, and withdrawing it before said objects exploded or impacted to avoid hurting herself. It was remarkably similar to the way Raven moved things with her telekinesis. There was a big difference between them, though, and that was the key.

When Raven manipulated objects, she did so while keeping the core of her mind heavily guarded. It came from years of self-discipline and restraint, and she did it more out of habit than any conscious effort. Terra, however, focused so strongly on moving earth that she left her mind largely unguarded. Though Raven hated to do so, even to a villain who arguably deserved it, her best chance was to force her way into Terra's mind, and hope that her mental defenses paled in comparison to her physical ones.

Raven waited until she sensed Terra extending her mind again, and knew that it was time. Pressing her fingers to her temples to help her focus, Raven began her assault. Though her eyes were shut tightly, she knew Terra would now be seeing (and with any luck be startled by) the towering black bird that represented Raven's soul-self, the totality of her mental prowess. In all honestly, she was a bit surprised at how easily Terra's mind was penetrated in but a few seconds, and chalked it up to her soul-self being more frightening than she'd hoped.

But the reason for her success soon became all too clear. Terra's mind was a mess of images, almost all of them having something to do with violence. Raven didn't inspect too many of them, for all the ones she did see were of Beast Boy, and what he had suffered at Terra's hands.

For a single moment, Raven forgot that she was only supposed to be knocking Terra out for a while. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to destroy all the images, which would at the very least erase Terra's memory of the last few days of her life. At the most, it might've shut the girl's brain down permanently. But at that moment, Raven had no problem with either possibility.

Raven was certainly not the most sociable person alive, and she did tend to snap at her friends quite a bit, occasionally even hurting their feelings. But she would never have physically harmed them with the intent of doing serious damage. From what she found in Terra's mind, the reasons for beating Beast Boy so consistently had ranged from anger to, of all things, boredom.

Almost as a reflex, Raven's soul-self streaked at the images, bent on destroying them completely. That, however, turned out to be a mistake. For while Terra's mind had no real defenses, Raven had failed to identify the warning signs of a strong mental offense. And sometimes, the best defense truly is a good offense.

Terra's mind had little idea of how it had come under attack, but it knew for certain that it was under attack, and it reacted the only way it knew how.

Both Raven and her soul-self screamed as the jumble of violent images were thrust back upon her, and for a horrible instant, she replaced Terra in them, and it was her tormenting Beast Boy so mercilessly. Something in Raven, more primal that she would've cared to admit, immediately lashed out, severing the connection and leaving both girls drained mentally and physically.

It was the first time in a long time that Raven had been thankful for her father's taint. If there was one thing her father's blood despised above all others, it was having it's own methods of attack turned and used against it.

Terra was the first to recover, and from the look on her face, she knew exactly what had just transpired.

"That's the LAST time you'll ever go stomping through my head!" she screamed, tackling Raven to the ground and locking her hands around her throat.

Raven tore desperately at the hands on her neck, but Terra's strength seemed to have been increased threefold by her anger. Even now, spittle was flying from her mouth and landing on Raven's face as she ranted incoherently, her eyes bloodshot with rage. And as a dark cloud threatened to descend over Raven's mind and guide her into unconsciousness, her last thought was of Jade, and, strangely enough, if she would ever return Wildy to his normal size.

----------

"Why won't you go down?!" Mammoth roared as he tightened his grip on Wildy's neck. "Shoot him, Giz!"

"I AM!" Gizmo snapped, more irritable than usual. "I shot him up with enough tranq to knock out a whole herd of elephants! The hairy crud-stuffer's just shrugging it all off somehow!"

Jinx watched the scene with a mix of worry and amusement. The beast was tossing and bucking Mammoth around like he was a doll, and that was no easy feat. Nor was totally ignoring Gizmo's tranquilizers. Jinx had suffered one as part of a practical joke in the past, and as far as she knew, she was still missing a week of her life.

Something had to be driving him to brush off all of their attempts to put him down. But what?

The answer came to her at once, and Jinx grinned as she cupped her hands to her mouth. "Hey, Woolly! You missing your Nana Raven, huh?"

At once, Wildy came to a complete stop, and, not expecting it, Mammoth was sent flying headfirst into the wall.

"Bet you're real worried about her, huh? Aw, poor baby! Baby gonna cry now? Boo hoo!"

Jinx could almost hear the snap as Wildy roared like a thing in pain and charged at her with frightening speed. Even though according to her plan, he would never reach her, Jinx found herself throwing up a violet shield, just in case.

But the plan worked perfectly, and inches away from his target, Wildy received a rather rude and painful shock, especially around the base of his neck. He whirled around, only to find Thunder and Lightning glaring up at him.

"He insults us by not falling to our might, brother!" Lightning said pompously. "Shall we make him bow before us, then?"

"Truly, he will not soon forget the day he met us, my brother!" Thunder rumbled, bringing his hands together in a mighty clap.

Wildy was thrown clear across the room, where he slammed into the wall with an ominous crunch. But still he rose, slowly but steadily, one arm hanging limply at his side.

"Bring him down!" Jinx ordered, and the brothers instantly moved to comply, helped along by more of Gizmo's rocket tranqs, for all the good they did.

All things considered, the plan was going remarkably well.

----------

Starfire had known from the start that Blackfire would fight dirty. It was something she had never been able to understand about her sister. Blackfire claimed to be (and had proven more than a few times) that she was better at a great deal of things than Starfire was. Yet, she still felt the need to cheat in order to win. If winning mattered to her that much, Starfire would've gladly let her do it, except that Blackfire hated it when her opponents didn't try.

It wasn't enough that Blackfire had dragged her to some odd, glowing chamber. But the violet, pulsing light was not just for mood: her sister had explained that the light effectively stripped them both of their Tamaranean powers. Apparently, what Blackfire really wanted was a fist fight and nothing else. And it soon became all too obvious that Blackfire had been practicing fighting without her powers. Starfire obviously had not, and suffered accordingly.

Ten minutes in, Starfire finally got tired of picking herself up off the floor. She had yet to even land a hit, and not even the sight of Robin gagged and bound at the far end of the room had motivated her enough. If Blackfire wanted to prove she was better, surely she had by now. The younger sister could see no point in continuing this way.

"How long will you do this?" Starfire asked. "You know I cannot defeat you this way, sister."

Blackfire glared at her. "That doesn't mean you get to stop trying. Now get into a stance or I'll knock you down again."

"No," Starfire said softly. "There is no point. I am defeated, and my friends need my help."

"Did you forget about Robin?" Blackfire asked. "He needs your help, too. And you can't save him unless you get past me."

It was very hard for Starfire to limit herself to a glance, but she managed it. "He doesn't seem to be badly hurt. And I have no idea what your new friends have been doing to mine. They need me more." With that, she turned to leave.

"You walk out that door, then Robin's mine!" Blackfire snapped.

Starfire paused. "Take good care of him, then." She kept going.

"HEY!" Blackfire ran after her sister and spun her around. "You do NOT walk out on me, Star!"

"What do you want from me?" Starfire asked. "I have already admitted that you are better at the fighting."

"But that never stopped you from trying!"

"I never had other friends to worry about," Starfire replied, pulling away from her. "I am sorry, Robin, but we will come back for you, if we can." She ran out before Blackfire could grab her.

For a long moment, Blackfire stared after her retreating sister in disbelief. Then she stomped over to Robin, yanking off his gag.

"Don't look at me; I'm just as surprised as you are," he said at once.

"I figured that," Blackfire muttered, tearing away at the ropes.

"You're letting me go?" he asked, unable to keep the shock out of his voice.

"I bet she planned this," Blackfire snarled, ignoring him. "She wanted me to feel guilty about kicking her butt. It was the only way she could win."

"But I thought you won?"

"Yeah, well, so did I, before she pulled the guilt trip on me."

"She had a point. Why all these contests and challenges if you beat her so much of the time? Doesn't that prove you're better?"

"No. Just means she didn't try as hard she could've sometimes. And that's what pisses me off more than anything: never knowing who's better."

Robin shook his head. "I know Starfire, and she wouldn't lie about anything."

Blackfire rolled her eyes. "I know her better. She'd lie if she thought it would make me feel better about myself. That's the kind of sister Star is."

He had to admit that did sound like Starfire. Even after that first betrayal, Starfire had always spoken of Blackfire with nothing but admiration and love. It was almost sad, in a way, since Blackfire would probably never live up to the high standards that Starfire constantly held her to. But it had never stopped the younger sister from believing in the elder one.

"So why DO you hate her so much? She sounds like a great sister."

"She IS, actually. That just makes it worse. It's like she's rubbing it in my face."

Robin was actually appalled. "But you KNOW she's not!"

"Yeah, but it still FEELS that way," Blackfire insisted. "It's felt that way ever since we were kids, and it probably always will. Maybe I'm nuts, but that's the way I feel. Go on, get outta here."

"You coming?" Robin asked as she handed him his utility belt.

"I'll catch up," Blackfire muttered, turning away. "Need to do some thinking."

Robin nodded and ran out, hoping Starfire hadn't gotten too far ahead. He didn't know who these new friends were, but she needed to know that Beast Boy had been compromised, and might still be...

----------

Supergirl bent down to pry open an air vent. "It'll be a tight squeeze, Jade, but I think if you can make it to the other side, we should be able to get through undetected. I don't suppose you have a talisman that makes you tiny?"

Behind her, Jade glared in silence at Supergirl's back. Instead of replying, she stuck out her tongue, and a huge fireball flew from her mouth, headed straight for the superheroine's back.

Next Chapter: Unleashed

As a confrontation with Slade draws near, the Titans find themselves in ruin. Starfire questions her loyalty, Beast Boy is haunted by a hasty decision, and Raven finds Wildly in a murderous rage that even she is powerless to stop. But to reach the final battle, the New Titans will have to get past two dangerous defectors: Jade and Livewire.


	12. Unleashed

Notes: Oh, and a note on crisis logic. For anyone who remembers that little scene in "Speed" where a pre-Matrix Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock make out on a crashed subway train, surviving a high intensity situation can supposedly bring two people closer together in…ahem…interesting ways. And it is hard to think of a superhero team where someone didn't get involved, either with another teammate, someone associated with the team, or an enemy (in Arsenal's case, anyway).

Today's lesson is this: Danger does something to people. Makes them want to have babies. Or at least hump like rabbits.

Chapter 12: Unleashed

Raven was aware of only two things when she finally woke up: the stabbing pains that tormented her body with every breath, and the sound of someone crying nearby.

It took her several minutes to make it to a sitting position, and that alone she would come to regret in the near future. But any thoughts of her own pain all but faded when her eyes took in the sight before her.

A few feet away, Beast Boy was crouched over Terra. He had definitely seen better days. The entire right side of his face seemed to be one big, purple bruise, and the left was decorated with angry, red scratches. There was no doubt that this was Terra's work, and Raven felt a renewed flash of anger roll over her as she glared at the blonde girl.

Who wasn't moving even the slightest bit, for whatever reason.

Raven paused and looked again. Now she could see a tiny, red-rimmed hole on the side of Terra's neck.

"She was going to kill you," Beast Boy said suddenly, raising his head to meet Raven's gaze. "I didn't believe it, at first. But then your face turned blue, and…" He trailed off, looking away. "I had to do it."

"Do what?" Raven asked, suddenly aware that something beyond the bruises was bothering her friend.

"What do you know about the Egyptian asp?" He was making an effort not to meet her eyes.

"One of the most poisonous snakes in the world. What does that have to…oh."

"I had to, Raven," he said at once. "I didn't want to believe that she could kill anyone. But you didn't see the look on her face. After what she did to me, I couldn't take the chance. Not with your life."

She wanted to thank him, but it didn't exactly seem appropriate just then. Instead, Raven gently placed her hand on his cheek. There was a brief flash of light, and most of Beast Boy's wounds vanished. "That's all I can do for now," she apologized.

"It's enough," Beast Boy replied quietly, the haunted look still present in his eyes.

Raven sighed. "Look, you didn't have any choice. Besides, if she had killed me, what would you have done different?"

"Torn out her throat," Beast Boy answered automatically, a look of horror crossing his face the next moment.

"So she was dead either way, wasn't she?" Raven asked, slowly getting to her feet. "You won't get any grief from me."

"But I'm a killer now," he whispered.

"You're the only reason I'm alive right now. Killers kill to take life, not preserve it."

"But…she's still dead. And I didn't have the right to-"

Raven suddenly placed her hand against his forehead.

Beast Boy blinked slowly. "…what was I saying?"

Raven's eyes flashed briefly, but only she was aware of them doing so. "She was dead when we got here. Slade must've been angry with her."

Beast Boy's eyes teared up. "She was so young. She could've changed."

"I doubt it, but it's too late to worry about it now. We'd better concern ourselves with the living. Including us. Now, help me walk, or you'll have to carry me, BB."

He paused as he approached her. "You called me BB. You never call me BB."

Raven allowed herself a tiny smile. "I'm feeling closer to you all of a sudden. Must be crisis logic kicking in or something."

"Uh…okay." Beast Boy slipped Raven's arm around his neck and looped his arm around her back, figuring that carrying her would only embarrass them both.

Raven's smile faded as her thoughts turned inward. She had never manipulated any of her teammates' thoughts before, and it left a bad taste in her mouth. But Beast Boy wasn't prepared to deal with what he'd done to save her, nor could they afford to have him thinking about it in the coming fight. It was only a temporary block, and she could remove it at any time.

The only problem was that Raven couldn't think of a single reason why she should remove it. Ever.

* * *

Supergirl heard a whooshing sound behind her, but she assumed it was just Jade shrinking herself so she could slip into the air vent. So she was more than a little surprised when the fireball slammed into her back with just enough force to sting, and that was really saying something.

She turned quickly, her eyes widening as Jade spat three more fireballs at her, a wild look in her dark eyes. "JADE!" Supergirl shouted in shock as she easily dodged the fire. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Taking you out," Jade replied with a wicked smirk. "Feel free to die at any time."

Had the fireballs been green, Supergirl might have been worried. At present, though, she was more concerned about Jade. This sudden personality shift didn't seem like her, even though they had barely known each other a whole day. That, and she really doubted Raven would put her trust in someone that couldn't be trusted. After all, Supergirl knew from personal experience that Raven's trust was not an easy thing to win.

Something had to be controlling Jade, then. Maybe that unknown girl was a telepath of some sort. Telepaths of the highest order could even take over a person's body completely, she'd heard. And somehow, she doubted the young, arrogant girl Starfire had described was that good.

"Well, you can't be mind-controlled puppet if you're out cold," Supergirl said, using her super-speed to slip behind Jade and deliver a solid blow to the base of her neck.

Jade stumbled, then whirled around and threw up her hand. A whole section of the wall broke free and buried Supergirl, and Jade grinned. "Good thing 'motion to the motionless' is open to interpretation, huh, Supey?"

"Not really." Supergirl burst from the debris and slammed Jade to the floor. "I don't want to hurt you, Jade, but you're REALLY starting to annoy me. We don't have time for this."

"Hurting me is the least of your troubles," Jade whispered, her eyes glowing red.

Supergirl flinched, half-expecting heat beams. Instead, three pairs of hands suddenly grabbed her and threw her off of Jade. She gasped in surprise as three lean, black-clothed figures blocked her path.

"You haven't met my Shadowkhan," Jade chuckled. "They don't take kindly to my enemies."

"And I don't take kindly to mind tricks. Whoever you are, let Jade go before I really get mad!"

"Oooh, we're shaking," Jade teased. "Get her, boys!"

The Shadowkhan sprang into action…against their mistress. Jade's eyes widened as two of the demon ninja pinned her arms behind her back, while a third produced a long, white feather.

"HEY!" Jade shouted. "I said get HER! LET ME GO!!!"

Supergirl looked on in stunned silence as the Shadowkhan tickled Jade's nose with a feather. She resisted as long as she could, but was finally forced to sneeze. A strong, cold wind blew through the corridor, and Jade's body went limp as the Shadowkhan carefully lowered her to the ground and vanished.

"Jade?" Supergirl asked hesitantly, taking a step forward.

Jade slowly raised her head. "Sorry about that. I got body-snatched."

"I figured. But how did you…?"

"Horse talisman power. Removes any foreign presence from the body. Including body-snatchers."

"But…the feather?"

Jade rubbed her head. "Well, it's also known as the healing talisman, since it gets rid of disease. You have to sneeze to activate it."

"Oh."

The two girls stared at each other for a long moment.

"I'm sorry," Jade said at length, looking away.

"You didn't exactly hurt me," Supergirl pointed out as she pulled Jade to her feet, "but thanks, anyway."

"No. I mean, I know you don't exactly trust me, and this must've made things worse between us."

"Jade, you didn't betray me. You were…body-snatched. I could tell that much. You weren't in control."

"How did you know?"

Supergirl shrugged. "You're a thief, but you have honor. You wouldn't attack me from behind; you'd do it to my face."

"…uh…thanks, I think." Jade decided not to mention that in Supergirl's case, she actually WOULD have been more likely to attack from behind, if only to avoid being heat-beamed into ashes.

"Come on. We'd better hurry before I get body-snatched. Or worse, someone stronger than me does."

* * *

Wildy's huge paw lashed out, palming Lightning's head like a basketball and slamming it into the wall with a sickening thud.

"RELEASE MY BROTHER AT ONCE!" Thunder roared, pounding the beast's back with bright bluesonic waves.

More out sheer irritation than anything else, Wildy dropped Lightning and sprang across the room towards Thunder, snarling and frothing at the mouth as he closed in on his prey.

Thunder drove his fist into Wildy's face, releasing the compacted power of a thunderclap at close range. Naturally, he was surprised when Wildy only flinched, snarled even louder, and sank his teeth into Thunder's blue hand.

Thunder's terrified screams of pain did serve to awaken his brother, but all Lightning's attacks seemed to do was make the beast's fur stand on end.

"Y'know, he was actually down by now in the plan," Jinx pointed out as she helped Gizmo sit up. "What went wrong?"

The boy genius frowned. "Nothing. We did everything were supposed to, but the snot-blower just won't cooperate."

"It doesn't even look like he feels anything."

"He feels it, all right," Mammoth muttered, fingering his split lip. "He's just ignoring it. Somebody must've hit him in the crotch and got him pissed."

"Wasn't me!" Gizmo snapped when Jinx gave him a look.

Jinx shook her head. "It must be something else, but we haven't got time to figure out what. I'd rather be torn apart than have to explain to Slade that I screwed this up."

"Can we take a vote on that?" Gizmo asked.

Jinx would've replied, but she was forced to duck as Thunder and Lightning sailed over her head. She gulped as Wildy turned his full attention on them, growling softly as he lumbered forward.

"I'll distract him as long as I can," Mammoth said. "You two take out the ceiling."

"What? But it'll cave in on us, too!" Gizmo protested.

"Would you rather be buried alive, or end up as his toothpick? At least this way, he can't get us."

"Yeah, but none of us get out," Jinx pointed out.

Mammoth shrugged. "So Terra will have to dig us all out. At least we'll have technically captured this thing by ourselves."

"Man, I hate winning on a technicality," Gizmo growled, "but I don't wanna be a toothpick, either."

Mammoth charged, driving his broad shoulder into Wildy's gut and driving him back several feet. Gizmo fired a volley of missiles at the ceiling, while Jinx fired hex bolts up with one hand, and tried to hold Wildy in place with the other.

It worked for a few seconds, but then Wildy broke Jinx's hex hold, knocking her out in the process. Then he brought both paws down hard on Mammoth's back, dropping him like a rock. It was all he had time to do before the ceiling came crashing down.

Gizmo honestly thought about running in an attempt to save his own neck. But he knew the only thing Slade hated more than failure was cowardice. At any rate, he was starting to feel a grudging sense of loyalty for his teammates, even to the point where he felt guilty about leaving them to die. With a resigned sigh, he grabbed the unconscious Jinx and mashed a button on his shoulder. "Good thing I thought to put this in at the last minute."

With a droning hum, an electromagnetic force field blinked into existence, forming a green, crackling energy sphere around the two. Gizmo closed his eyes and ducked his head as the debris covered them almost instantly. The shield held, and would do so until his power ran out. That gave them a couple of hours, at least. He just hoped that Slade didn't mess Terra up too bad, since they'd need her help to get out.

* * *

Static came to slowly, and knew at once that something was wrong. He was lying face-up on a table, and steel shackles restrained his limbs.

The last thing he remembered was following Livewire closely down a long corridor.

…but not too closely, since she kept stopping suddenly, and then accusing him of grabbing her butt. Not that she was complaining in the slightest.

Anyway, she'd just gone around a corner, and he'd been about to follow when Livewire turned on him, in every sense of the word. He was not ashamed that she'd knocked him out with one hit; had he been anyone else (except maybe Superman), an electrified fist to the face probably would've killed him instantly.

As it was, he now felt severely drained, and it didn't take him long to figure out why. He tried his powers, and couldn't even generate a tiny spark. Livewire had sucked him dry. That is, she'd absorbed all his electrical energy. Which meant that she was probably running around twice as powerful right now, and on the other side, no less. He doubted even Supergirl could stop her in that state without help.

It was then that he heard voices approaching.

"Terra isn't responding. Should I go check on her?" That was Livewire, he knew, but she sounded different, somehow.

"No," said a voice he didn't recognize. "I will deal with her in time. For now, we'd better make sure our newest recruit has a dependable power source."

They finally entered the room. Sure enough, Livewire was in the lead, followed by someone who had to be Slade. Something about the guy just screamed 'evil genius'.

"Hello, Static," Slade said in an almost pleasant manner. "Welcome to my current address. Or would you prefer Mr. Hawkins?"

He glared at the man. "So you know who I am."

"I make it my business to know all of my guests," Slade replied. "Though I am surprised that Raven and Starfire didn't try to pull this off on their own. It would seem they've discovered the convenience of networking."

"So have you," Static replied, glaring at Livewire.

"Sorry, Sparky," Livewire said with a grin. "What we had was great while it lasted, but there are some things a hero like you just can't give me. I am grateful for the power boost, though."

"I can't believe I was ever stupid enough to trust you," Static muttered angrily.

"Hey, you win some, you lose some. Best to just be a good sport about it. We are keeping you alive, for now." Livewire placed a small, metal device on his chest.

Static eyed it with mild curiosity. "What's that? A bomb?"

"Nothing so diabolical, I assure you," Slade replied. "Livewire tells me that you eventually might regain some of your power. Should you do so, this device will merely put it to better use."

"Let me guess. Free cable?"

"Not quite. Meet the recipient of your boundless generosity, Static."

There were two heavy footfalls, and Static found himself staring up at a figure that was half-man, half-machine. Even in the darkness of the room, he knew it could only be one person.

"Unfortunately for your little friends, Livewire isn't the only one that's had…a change of mind, so to speak. Although it took quite a bit of tinkering on my part to make him a willing servant."

"You won't get away with this," Static swore. "They'll stop you."

"You'll have to forgive me, young man, if I don't feel the slightest bit threatened."

* * *

Raven sighed and leaned against the wall. "I managed to get Starfire. She's on her way, and Robin's right behind her."

"What about the other people you brought? And Cyborg?"

"Jade and Supergirl had a close call, but they're fine. Static's been captured, Livewire turned on him. I'm not really surprised." She paused. "He also says that Cyborg's been reprogrammed to obey Slade."

Beast Boy groaned. "Man! This is just not our night!"

"I'm not getting anything from Wildy," Raven added quietly. "They probably knocked him out."

"Probably," Beast Boy agreed. "He's durable if nothing else. You wouldn't believe how many times I've caught him eating the T-Car's tires."

They lapsed into an awkward silence, and remained that way until Starfire flew up minutes later.

"Friends!" she said happily, swooping forward to hug them both. "You are…um…not severely damaged?" Starfire asked hopefully, noticing what bad shape they were in.

"We'll live," Raven replied. "Why didn't you just wait on Robin, instead of flying ahead? None of us should be alone in a place like this. It's too easy to get ambushed."

Starfire looked away, unable to answer the question.

Raven and Beast Boy traded confused looks, but before either could press the issue, Robin ran up to them, slightly out of breath.

"Star, didn't you hear me calling you?" he asked, both annoyed and concerned.

"I was occupied," Starfire said quietly, unable to meet his eyes.

"Is this thing neither of you wants to mention something worth any of us getting seriously hurt over?" Raven asked. "Because if it's not, you need to deal with it right now. I'm through taking bruises for no good reason tonight."

"I am a very bad friend," Starfire said at once, looking mournful.

Raven resisted the urge to smirk. "Are you crazy? I'd say you're too good a friend if anything."

"No! I am very bad!" Starfire insisted. "I…I abandoned Robin when he needed me. I admitted defeat to my sister. I did not try to save him from her."

"Well, like you said, I wasn't in any real danger," Robin hesitantly pointed out. "Blackfire didn't hurt me. In fact, she let me go, once she figured out your heart wasn't in it. I'm willing to forget all this if you are."

"I cannot," Starfire said sadly. "I am not worthy to be a Teen Titan anymore. Maybe I never was."

"Star, you're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?" Beast Boy asked.

"I am afraid so," Starfire whispered, taking out her Titans communicator. She started to hand it to Robin, then noticed the hurt look on his face and quickly pressed it into Beast Boy's hand. She had only taken a step when an iron grip closed around her arm. Starfire turned slightly, startled to see that it was Raven that had grabbed her.

"You. Are. NOT. Leaving." The really odd thing was that Raven had managed to say all of that through clenched teeth.

Starfire bit her lip. "Raven, I am sorry-"

"NO. I said you're not-!"

"Raven," Robin interrupted calmly. He separated them and looked at Starfire. "If you really want to leave, I won't stop you. But I don't think you do really want to leave. I think you regret a decision you made, and that you might regret making this one even more. So for now, at least, as leader of the Titans, I forbid you to leave the team, Starfire. After we're all safe, and you've had time to think carefully about this, then you can make your decision. For now, you are still a Titan in good standing."

"Then…I am a prisoner?" Starfire asked uncertainly.

"No," Robin answered with a smile. "But it does mean if you try to leave now, we'll keep coming after you until you surrender."

A green bloodhound sniffed loudly at Starfire's boots. "Got your scent," he said after reverting to Beast Boy. "Nowhere to run or fly where I can't find you."

"Anyway, Wildy would cry if you left," Raven added. "Then I'd have to come after you for making him sad, and things would get ugly."

"That means she'd miss you, too," Beast Boy whispered loudly.

Raven started to protest, then changed her mind and grabbed Starfire's hand. "I would," she said quietly.

"All of us would," Robin confirmed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't let you go that easy, Star. You're too precious to each and every one of us."

Starfire sniffled and wrapped them all in a bone-crushing hug, burying her face in Robin's shoulder. "You are all such wonderful friends!" she sobbed.

"Then why are you punishing us?!" Raven gasped.

"Uncle!" Beast Boy wheezed. "UNCLE!!!"

And from deep within the shadows, Blackfire watched the mushy display with a look of intense envy, before finally vanishing into the darkness.

* * *

"Well, this looks like the control center of an evil complex," Jade said, gesturing to the large computers that lined the wall. "So where are all the bad guys?"

"Maybe they're busy," Supergirl replied, glancing around the room. "Think you can hack in and find out where the Titans are?"

"Sure. But if a fight starts, remember to throw the flunkies AWAY from the consoles. I can't tell you how many times that's screwed up an otherwise perfect heist."

Supergirl frowned sternly and pointed at the computers. "Hack."

"Right. Sorry." Jade sat in the nearest chair and went to work.

Supergirl continued to scan the room, unable to shake the feeling that they had walked right into an ambush. Still, she could pick up nothing unusual with her super-senses, and she didn't want to leave Jade alone if this was a trap.

Roughly three minutes later, Jade waved her over. "Okay, this room caved in on itself," Jade said, pointing to a mound of rubble on one monitor. "My guess is Wildy brought the house down. I don't think anybody's getting in or out of there without help, not even him. But I think he'll be fine for a while."

Supergirl nodded. "Anyone in immediate trouble?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if we need to worry about her." The monitor changed to show a skinny blonde lying in dirt with her head propped up on a rock. "I think this is the unknown Starfire mentioned. No idea what happened to her, but she hasn't moved the whole time."

Supergirl leaned closer, peering at the screen. "She's not breathing. Two small marks on her neck, looks like a snake bite."

Jade rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Where were you and your super-vision when I was trying to get the zoom function to work?" She tapped another key, bringing up an overhead view of Static strapped to a table. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Static isn't the type to turn into a bondage freak in the middle of a mission."

Supergirl scowled. "Livewire. I really thought she'd changed."

"Well, he doesn't look hurt or anything. That's good, right?"

"I guess. But that might just mean he could absorb anything she threw at him. For his sake, I hope he can."

"Then all we've got is one real ray of sunshine." Jade changed the screen again, revealing Raven leading Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin down a stairway. "And there's our Titans. A little roughed up, but okay. Can't seem to get a fix on Cyborg, though. He must be somewhere the cameras don't show."

"Did you try right behind you?" a voice asked.

Supergirl spun around, her fist stopping inches from Cyborg's head. "Geez, Cy, don't sneak up on me!"

He smiled. "Sorry. Good to see you made it in one piece, Supergirl."

"You knew I was coming?" she asked in surprise.

"I had a feeling Starfire might go to you for help." His gaze moved to Jade. "Friend of yours?"

"Raven's actually, but I'm starting to consider being seen with her in public."

"Ha ha," Jade said dryly. "I don't suppose you've seen Blackfire around, big guy?"

"Nope. But then I was a little busy, what with being reprogrammed and all."

It took a few seconds for that to sink in, but it was all the time Slade's army of robotic henchmen needed to surround the two girls and Cyborg.

"Jade," Supergirl said softly, backing up to the console. "How many Shadowkhan do you have?"

"Three," said Jade.

"Well, how many can you get?!"

"Three!"

"Okay. Then what's…three hundred divided by four?"

"Wouldn't you make five?"

"No," Supergirl said patiently, "because I'm the only thing capable of stopping Cyborg from blasting you to bits, and I don't think you want me distracted just now."

"Good point. Oh, and feel free to throw him into the computers now; we don't need them anymore."

"Wonderful," Supergirl replied as she ripped an entire console from the wall and threw it at Cyborg.

* * *

"It's about time!" Gizmo snapped as he and Jinx were pulled out of the mound of rubble. It took him exactly three seconds to realize just who had pulled them out, though. "Aw, crudsicles…"

"What have you done with Fuzzy?!" Starfire demanded, giving him a good shake.

"She means the big, hairy beast that left you buried," Raven added helpfully.

Gizmo chuckled. "Well, Mammoth's right over there. But if you mean the OTHER hairy beast that WE buried, then he's in here somewhere, too."

"You are lying!" Starfire cried, her eyes glowing as she charged up a Starbolt.

"Actually, I don't think he is," Robin replied. "I just found Thunder and Lightning. They definitely mixed it up with Wildy…or at least got messed up by him."

"You crud munchers should really rethink your membership screening process," Gizmo suggested. "That thing's plain unreasonable when it's mad!"

"Well, nobody made you take him on," Beast Boy snapped.

"Actually, I wanted no part of him. Animals are way too unpredictable. But Slade wanted him, so I didn't have much choice, did I?"

"We'll see," Robin said. "Beast Boy, see if you can pick up Wildy's scent. Starfire, you help him dig. Raven, I hate to ask, but could you…?"

"Yeah, sure," Raven muttered as she stood over Gizmo. "I'm already dirty all over, might as well have my mind feel that way, too."

"Hey," Gizmo said warily, "what are you-"

Raven glared at him. "Keep your mouth shut for once…if for no other reason to keep from screaming like a girl."

Thankfully, Gizmo did keep his mouth shut, and by the time Raven was done searching his memories, all he had the strength to do was pass out.

"He's telling the truth, Robin. They buried themselves to keep Wildy from ripping them to shreds. I hate to say it, but Wildy has a tendency to lose control easily, and that spell of Jade's might even be making him worse."

"But he's still our little Fuzzy!" Starfire insisted as she helped Beast Boy dig. "We must save him!"

"So do you think he's dangerous?" Robin said softly. "To us?"

"I want to say no," Raven murmured. "But…we need to be ready, in case-"

"WILDY, STOP!!!" Beast Boy shouted.

Robin and Raven looked over to see a thick, hairy arm emerging from the rubble. But caught in its strong grip was Starfire's throat.

"LET HER GO!" Beast Boy ordered as he tugged uselessly at the arm. "BAD WILDY!"

"Stop treating him like a baby; he's hurting her!" Robin ordered, whacking at the arm with his staff.

"But it's Wildy!" Beast Boy protested.

"And that's STARFIRE, Beast Boy!" Robin shouted, pointing desperately at the struggling alien girl.

That seemed to wake Beast Boy up, and he morphed into a lion, slashing mercilessly at Wildy's arm with his claws. However, the grip on Starfire would not be broken.

Raven began to reach for Wildy's mind, but all she found there was all-consuming anger, and if she got any closer, his mind would devour hers. Instead, she reached out for Starfire.

_"Listen to me very carefully, if you can, Starfire. You're the only one that can make him let you go."_

_"Please tell me how, Raven! I can't breathe! I-I'm scared!"_

"First, you have to calm down. I know it's hard, but you have to. The more you struggle, the more he'll try to hold you. Next, you have to reach deep within yourself…and stop holding back."

Their eyes met, and Raven knew what Starfire's response would be at once.

"Raven…if you know that I am holding back, then you must also know why! Wildy is our friend, and-" 

"That's not what I mean. Stop holding back, Starfire. You're stronger than this, and we both know it."

"Please….do not ask me to do that!" 

"Starfire, listen to me. If you don't do it, Wildy is going to kill you. And if he does that, then we will be forced to kill him. Is that what you want?"

"No…but-" "Then stop being a victim and MAKE him let go!" 

The first time they'd met, Raven had known at once that Starfire's loving heart would get her into trouble. She hadn't know when, or if it would get one of their teammates seriously hurt, or worse. And she certainly hadn't suspected that it would put Starfire's own life at risk. What she had know, however, was that Starfire greatest strength, and indirectly, her greatest weakness, was restraint. She had never struck anything or anyone with intent to kill, and she probably never would. Out of all the Titans, only Beast Boy had done so, and that was only to protect Raven. But even now, with Starfire on the brink of death, she still hadn't accepted that desperate times called for desperate measures.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for them all, Raven had.

"Forgive me," Raven whispered as she forced her way into Starfire's mind and took control.

Telepathy usually required, or at least inspired, a certain level of subtlety and skill in its users. There was none of that as Raven accessed Starfire's powers in a way the alien girl had never dared to.

"Sorry, Wildy," Starfire said in a voice remarkably like Raven's, "but you earned this spanking!" With that, she dug her fingers into Wildy's arm and released countless Starbolts directly into his skin.

Immediately, Wildy burst from the ground, snarling in pain and anger as he whipped his arms from side to side, as if trying to get Starfire away from him. But it was clear to all those present that the only one that refused to let go was Wildy himself.

"Fine! You asked for this!" Starfire's eyes blazed with emerald fury as she wrapped her legs around his arm and twisted. There was a dry but audible crack, followed by an unearthly howl as Wildy fell to the ground, Starfire rolling away from him easily.

"Now," she said softly but firmly, "calm down, Wildly!"

Though he stopped making any noise other than quiet whines, the rage was still present in Wildy's eyes.

"Very well. If you will not be calmed, then you must be stopped." Starfire grabbed Wildy's head and slammed it against the nearest rock, sending him immediately into unconsciousness.

There was silence for a long moment.

"How did you get that strong?" Robin asked finally.

"She was always that strong," Raven replied. "She just never told us that she was."

Starfire collapsed next to Wildy, shaking her head and staring at Raven in disbelief. "Raven…how could you?! I begged you not to…you should not have done that!"

"Remember that choice you still need to make?" Raven asked, kneeling next to her. "Well, thanks to that extra power you never want to use, you're still alive to make it."

"But you had no right!" Starfire insisted, tears streaming down her face.

"He was going to take my best friend from me, whether he intended to or not," Raven said softly, stroking Starfire's hair. "I'd say that gave me every right."

"So what do we do now?" Beast Boy asked Robin.

"Wildy needs to be taken care of. Now. We need to find this Jade and have her undo whatever she did to him, before he gets worse."

"He was really going to do it, wasn't he?" Beast Boy whispered.

Robin looked away, finding little comfort in the fact that Starfire had seemingly forgiven Raven, and was now crying quietly in her arms. "Let's just say I'm glad we didn't get the chance to find out."

* * *

"You know, there's only one thing that I don't mind giving the Titans credit for, Livewire. They're always so…efficient. And the one thing my little operation has been lacking as of late is efficiency."

"Well, of course," Livewire replied with a smirk. "You didn't have me then."

Slade chuckled softly. "True. But I also had that Titan efficiency working against me. Now, however, I've found a way to put it to good use. Observe."

Cyborg entered the room, carrying the limp forms of Jade and Supergirl on his shoulders.

"Not that we ever doubted you for a second, Cyborg," Slade commented, "but do humor us with how you managed to capture them."

"Well, they put up a good fight," Cyborg answered. "But all we had to do was overwhelm Jade with numbers. Once we got her, Supergirl gave up to keep her from being hurt. Knocked them both out just to be safe, though."

"I expected nothing less." Slade stared into the eyes of his new recruit. "And you will have no problem whatsoever capturing the Teen Titans?"

"Not a one," Cyborg replied confidently with a wicked grin. "After all, who knows 'em better than me?"

* * *

Next Chapter: These Eyes of Mine

The Titans reluctantly battle Cyborg & Livewire, with assists from Static & Blackfire. Starfire makes her choice, Raven makes amends, Beast Boy makes a change, and Cyborg makes a hand (it'll make sense later). All that, and Raven settles things with Sylvan once and for all (and not without some bloodshed).

Reviews!

Chaos Damn It

I have read most all of your fics here on mediaminer, and I must say that you are one of THE BEST authors I have ever had the pleasure of coming across. Each of your stories is conveyed absolutely perfectly, with practically no flaws to be found. I have to say that your works are on par with the professionals of the world. But, that's not considering the fact that you possibly very well could be one of those literary specialists. Well, aside from all of that, I would like to let if be known that so far "Will D. Beest" has me on the edge of my seat, and that I find it particularly cruel of you to have such a long time between your updates. I know that things can happen and the will to write a story can be lost for a while, but having to stop right here, at such a drama intensive moment, really leaves me with the urge to bash my head in to a sharp corner. Just to let you know. So, I will leave you with a wish for expediency on the hopefully soon to arrive next chapter, and the same thing that I tell everybody to do: Keep up the good work.

Well, first, you must know that I don't make you wait on purpose, even if I joke about it every now and then. I am not a literary specialist, but a former one-time English major, so I'd like to think I learned a few things. I am not perfect, though I often wish I was in moments of boredom. As for why I pause on dramatic moments, that's something I picked up in my literary studies. You wouldn't believe how many legendary writers just leave you hanging for no other reason than because they can. I emulate what I've experience myself. It's only fair. Okay, not really, but there it is. I get distracted far too easily, can't help it, I'm a naturally curious person. I know it hurts to wait, never forget that I'm not just a writer, I'm a reader, too. I know how it feels to be screwed over a story that will never end, and I know how it feels to do the screwing. Not that I enjoy it, but it happens.


	13. These Eyes of Mine

Note: This chapter ran long, so I had to split it up, which throws off the summary from last time. But don't worry, everything described there WILL happen, eventually.

Chapter 13: These Eyes of Mine

"Cyborg," Robin said slowly.

Cyborg grinned wickedly at him. "Hey, Rob. Nice day for a fight, huh?"

Robin whipped out his collapsible staff as the other Titans closed in around him. "Don't make us do this, Cyborg. You can't win. We know you too well."

Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon at them. "Funny. I was just thinkin' the same thing, man."

"Slade is controlling you, my friend!" Starfire cried. "You must defy his evil!"

"Nah. Kinda like it. But if you wanna join up with us, Star, I'll put in a good word for you."

"That's just Slade's programming talking, dude!" Beast Boy insisted. "We're your buds! Your pals! Your amigos!"

"Ex-amigos," Cyborg corrected as he fired.

The Titans were prepared to scatter, but instead of the usual blast, all that emerged from Cyborg's arm cannon was a small metal box.

"…so, Slade forget to arm you or something?" Beast Boy asked.

"Careful!" Robin warned as Starfire bent down to examine the box. "It could be a-"

"SURPRISE!!!" Livewire yelled as she burst from the box, hitting the Titans at point-blank range with thick bolts of electricity.

Starfire was the first one to recover, thanks mostly to her alien physiology. "You will not hurt my friends anymore!" she shouted, her eyes blazing with emerald fury as she talked Livewire from behind.

"Well, I guess that means you're volunteering to be Target # 1!" Livewire grinned, splitting her body into smaller bolts and slipping out of Starfire's grip.

Before Starfire could figure out where she'd gone, a blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon caught her square in the back, sending her slamming into the wall.

"Sorry, Starry," Cyborg chuckled, "but you gotta watch your back."

"Speak for yourself, 'Bot Boy!" Livewire snapped as she reformed herself. "You got company in a big way!"

Cyborg spun around in time to see a huge, green triceratops charging straight at him. "Ah, crap," he whispered just before it crashed into him.

* * *

"Jade, wake up!" Supergirl hissed. "The Titans need our help!"

Jade blinked as she slowly came to, shaking her head. "Ow. What hit me?"

"Cyborg's fist is my guess. Listen, I don't want to sound prejudiced or anything, but would any of your Shadowkahn happen to be good at lock picking?"

Jade smirked. "I am a master thief. Why WOULDN'T my guys know anything about that?"

"Well, I didn't want to assume," Supergirl replied as two Shadowkahn appeared and went to work on their manacles.

"Assume away; we'll be out of here in no time," Jade said confidently. "Which reminds me: how'd they get you?"

Supergirl looked away. "Well…Cyborg threatened to hurt you if I didn't surrender."

Jade blinked a few times. "I thought I wasn't your friend?"

"You're like a mold; you grew on me. And to be honest, I've got friends that are more annoying."

"So we're officially buds now?"

"Unofficially. I still can't associate with you in public. I mean, you're still a thief, and I am Supergirl."

"MASTER thief."

"Even more reason not to be seen with you. But I wouldn't be opposed to a sleepover or something."

Jade stared at her in disbelief. "A sleepover? Geez, you really ARE Superman's cousin…"

* * *

Even in his human form, Beast Boy had certain animal senses, and he was thankful for each and every one of them. For example, the hairs on the back of his neck tended to stand up when there was danger. Of course, they hadn't stopped standing up since he'd walked into the room, but they really stiffened all of a sudden.

So he was more than ready to dive aside when he heard Livewire's laughter behind him. But there was no need, as it turned out.

"Move, BB!" Raven shouted, forming a black barrier behind him.

Beast Boy dodged only seconds before a huge bolt of lightning cracked the barrier struck the other side of the room.

"HEY! Get your own pet to play with!" Livewire began tossing bolt after bolt at Raven, knowing a shield could only hold up for so long.

Raven knew it as well, since she was not a hundred percent and very much distracted at the moment. Though most of her attention was on the battle, it was also split between regularly checking on her teammates, and searching for a loophole in Cyborg's reprogramming. She was still hoping to seize the human part of Cyborg's mind and override Slade's brainwashing, but it wouldn't be easy.

Especially when Livewire deserved all of her attention, she realized as the bolts finally broke through and hit Raven all at once. The impact knocked her backwards, where she hit the wall with a thud. Before she could fully recover, Livewire appeared in front of her, grinning merrily.

"Bet you wish you were Static right now, huh?" she asked.

"No, I think I can safely say I'd never want to be a boy, even one that runs on electricity."

"Well, this probably wouldn't hurt as much if you were," Livewire responded, driving a supercharged foot into Raven's ribs.

Raven grunted, absorbing the hit as best she could, which wasn't all that well. But it was enough that she was able to grab Livewire's ankle a few seconds later. "I don't suppose being electric makes up explosion-proof?"

Livewire's eyes widened as Raven poured dark energy into her foot. "Stop that! What are you-"

Her words were lost as both their powers mixed and instantly rejected each other in a very violent way. The blast sent Livewire sailing clear, and Raven was forced completely through the wall, wear something broke her fall.

"You know, I can think of a hundred less painful ways to get close to you," said a voice in her ear.

"Static!" Raven cried as she rolled off of him.

"Actually, it's just Virgil now," the boy corrected. "But I know a surefire way to stop Livewire, if you're interested."

"Kinda busy here, Virgil," Raven pointed out.

"I know, but you don't look like you should take another hit like that. Even if it doesn't work, I'm the only one still on your side that can absorb her attacks."

Raven considered that, and then formed a few lock picks to set him free. "Okay. But it better work." With Static free, she'd be able to focus on getting Cyborg back. And the sooner the Titans had one less person mopping the floor with them, the better off they'd all be.

* * *

Blackfire dropped Mammoth heavily to the ground, adding him to the growing pile of teammates she'd dragged from Slade's base. Terra lay a few feet from the pile for obvious reasons, but everyone else would probably wake up fairly soon. Slade's operations had a nasty way of exploding prematurely, and Blackfire didn't want the death of another friend on her mind. It was too bad about Terra; she'd been a neat person to hang with, when she wasn't completely psychotic.

For a moment, Blackfire even considered going back for the Titans' pet. But then, she hadn't liked the look of it, even when it was out cold. And for all she knew, it was out cold for a very good reason.

Had it been a few months earlier, or even just a few days, Blackfire probably would've flown off into the night right then. But it wasn't, so she couldn't. With a heavy sigh, the Tamaranean girl flew back into the base, with no clue that this night would change her life forever.

* * *

"Think fast!" Cyborg shouted, tossing the green bull straight at Robin.

Thankfully, the bull reverted to Beast Boy in plenty of time, but was still unable to stop himself from slamming into Robin and sending them both sprawling on the floor. Before they could untangle themselves, they found Cyborg standing over them, readying his sonic cannon.

"Well, it was fun, guys. But I think it's time to end this little game."

"Haven't you ever heard of overtime?" Jade asked as she dropped in front of him and spat a fireball into Cyborg's face.

Cyborg blinked and wiped away some soot with his fist. "Jade. How'd you get out?"

"Not important. What IS important," she said as her three Shadowkhan appeared behind her, "is that you're outnumbered."

"That didn't work the last time, but I guess you can't be blamed for forgetting. I did hit you pretty hard."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I do owe you one, don't I?"

There was a thunderous crack as Cyborg's head was rocked by Supergirl's fist. The force of the blow sent him flying across the room, where he slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor, leaving a Cyborg-shaped dent in the wall.

"Cool," Beast Boy said dazedly as Jade pulled him to his feet. "Are we making snow angels, Mommy?"

"Uh…sure, why not." Jade waved a hand in front of his face. "How many fingers?"

"A jillion?"

"…close enough." Jade turned to Supergirl. "I think he needs a time-out."

"I wish we could afford to take a break," Robin gasped as he stood up, "but I don't think we can risk it…or that Cyborg and Livewire will let us."

"Where's Raven?" Jade asked, her eyes scanning the room. "And Livewire, for that matter?"

"Don't know. I saw them fighting a while ago, but then there was an explosion and I lost track of them."

Jade frowned. "I'm going after them."

Robin scowled at her. "No. You're going to undo whatever you did to Wildy first. He nearly killed Starfire."

"And what do you think Livewire's gonna do to Raven?!"

"Nothing that Raven can't handle. She's survived tougher fights than this. If you're that worried about her, all the more reason for you to fix Wildy so you can go check on her. It won't do you any good to save her if Wildy just comes in afterwards and flattens you both."

"Do as he says, Jade," Supergirl said. "And take Beast Boy with you. Once he's got his senses back, he can help you track Wildy."

Robin nodded. "Plus you'll need him, if Wildy's little nap is over."

Jade sighed in frustration. "Fine. But if anything happens to Ray-"

"You know Raven's a telepath. If she needed help, she'd let us know."

Jade shook her head as she stormed off, dragging Beast Boy with her. "You obviously don't know Ray like I do, Robin. She'd NEVER admit that she needed help."

* * *

"I could reeeally use some help right now," Raven muttered.

Livewire paused in her advance. "Are you begging already?"

"No. I was talking to him, actually."

Livewire risked a glance behind her, and a wide grin appeared on her face. "Hey, Sparky! I don't know how you got loose, but you're about to wish you'd stayed where I left you!"

Virgil shook his head. "The only thing I wish is that I had the old Livewire back. The one that wasn't ashamed to grab my butt in public and moon me when she got bored."

"Reminisce all you want, Sparky. I'm not switching sides again."

"Yeah, I know. Because I don't think you ever really switched in the first place." With that, Virgil stepped up to Livewire, grabbed her face, and kissed her hard.

It was probably the stupidest plan Raven had ever seen. But, she realized as she looked on, it was just stupid enough to work. Not only was Virgil absorbing the energy Livewire had stolen from him, but he was also causing some kind of internal struggle in her. Raven could see Livewire's face twitching in discomfort, and suddenly, she could sense two minds where there had only been one before.

Raven sent her spirit-self forward, and the black bird shape sank its talons into Livewire's head, pulling the extra entity away from her. "I don't know who you are, but it's time you went back to your own body."

Livewire sank to her knees, her body surrounded by her usual blue glow. Before her, Static stood renewed, grinning at his own violet aura. And not too far from them, the entity forced Raven's spirit-self away, curling in the fetal position as its green aura shimmered dimly.

"Told you it would work," Static said to Raven.

"So I owe you ten bucks. Make sure she's still on our side, would you?"

Static offered his hand to Livewire, who slowly looked up at him. "Hey, beautiful. You with us or what?"

"…Sparky? What…happened to me?" Livewire asked as she took his hand. "It felt like…someone was in my skin."

"Dirty girl," Static said playfully. "Even now, all you can think about is-"

"-that kiss," Livewire interrupted, shooting him a look. "Where did THAT come from, huh?"

"Oh. That," Static murmured, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, um, I figured out that it wasn't really you in there. You didn't quite sound like you. Or walk like you."

"Walk…like me?"

Aware that Raven was standing not too far from them, Static lowered his voice. "As we say in Dakota, you didn't have enough 'junk in yo trunk'. So to speak."

Livewire grinned at him, giving him a light shove. "I KNEW you were checking out my butt!"

Static blushed. "Well, be glad I was, or I might not have figured out that whoever was controlling you wasn't a girl. So I thought kissing you might make him want to find a new body."

"And you did that for purely unselfish reasons, gaining no personal pleasure whatsoever in the process?" Livewire asked suspiciously.

"Of course!" Static replied at once.

"Really? Then you need a reward." And before he could protest (not that he really would've, anyway), Livewire grabbed Static's face and kissed him.

It was times like this that Raven hated being a telepath. Even though she turned away in time, the thoughts of her two electric partners were certainly not censored. She focused her attention on the green entity before her. "So. You're a body-jumper. A neat trick, but it won't work anymore."

The entity turned its eyes on her. "Don't be too sure."

She could sense that something was wrong, but before she knew it, the entity was rushing at her with frightening speed. Just before it reached her, however, something white flashed before her eyes, and the entity was hurled away from her.

"Beware his eyes, Seedling," a familiar voice whispered in her ear. "He jumps through the eyes…"

Raven smiled faintly. Already she could sense the presence fading, but it had done enough. "Thanks for protecting me again, Sylvan," she said softly. "But for someone who wants me to stand on my own, you're making a pretty good bodyguard."

It was then that she noticed that the entity that had possessed Livewire was long gone.

* * *

"You're wasting your time, Supergirl," Cyborg grunted as he straightened his jaw for what had to be the sixth time in three minutes. "Even if you did have the power to put me down for good, you wouldn't do it. You're on the wrong side for that."

Supergirl shook her head. "It's been my experience that people who accuse others of being on the wrong side are usually on the wrong side themselves. Especially when those people were on the right side a day before. Now, are you going to give up, or do I have to set you straight with a few more love taps?"

Cyborg grinned at her. "Guess I just have a thick skull, 'cuz I wanna fight some more."

"HIIIII-YAAAA!!!" Robin screamed as he leaped onto Cyborg's shoulders and brought his staff down on the metal half of Cyborg's head.

"Rob, please," Cyborg sighed, grabbing his foot and holding him upside down. "If Supergirl hits like a girl, what chance do you have of doing any damage?"

"I wasn't trying to damage," Robin said patiently, crossing his arms and looking amazingly confident for someone hanging upside down. "I was trying to distract."

Cyborg only had time to blink before there was a loud crunching sound behind him. He looked back to see most of Supergirl's arm buried in his back.

"Sorry about this, Cy," she apologized, "but I figure once you're good again, you can fix yourself up in no time. For now, though, you're in our way." She yanked her arm out, watching closely as Cyborg dropped Robin and fell to his knees, electricity dancing wildly across his back just before all of his internal systerms shut down.

"Wish I'd thought of that," Robin commented after a long moment.

"You did," Supergirl insisted. "But you were too good a friend to consider it. Me, I just got annoyed. Tends to happen when the bad guys won't stay down." Her eyes instantly shifted directly behind him and narrowed. "Crap. I knew we forgot something."

"How decidedly un-super of you," said a calm voice behind them. "And you dare to call yourselves superheroes."

Robin's grip on his staff tightened. "Slade," he growled.

Slade stood before them in full battle gear. However, he made no move to attack. "Robin. You don't sound happy to see me."

"I never am. You're nothing but trouble, Slade."

"I would hardly be a worthy supervillain if I wasn't, Robin. Now, I think you want to put that staff down."

Robin smirked. "And why would I want to do something like that?"

"Because I don't think your friend Starfire would appreciate being hit with it very much," he replied, stepping aside.

Robin's jaw dropped, as did the staff from his hands. "Starfire…not you, too…"

"She had taken so much damage from Cyborg, that I decided, for once, to be merciful. Personally, I think the new wardrobe suits her. What do you think, Robin?"

Robin stared at the tight, black version of Starfire's uniform with the slim, silver S on the chest. "I think that's the last friend of mine you tamper with."

"On that much we agree, then. Because after my new apprentice is done with you, you won't have any friends to tamper with. Starfire, destroy them."

With that, Starfire launched herself at her former friends, her eyes and hands glowing a malevolent emerald that promised this would be their longest fight yet.

* * *

"Well, this is weird," Jade muttered to herself.

"What is?" Beast Boy asked, peering over her shoulder at Wildy's unconscious form.

"My spell is gone. Someone must've taken it off him."

"Say what?"

"It's just gone. Robin told me to undo it, but it's already been undone!"

"But how is that possible? I thought only you could take it off?"

Jade shook her head. "I guess I made the mistake of assuming I was the only one, other than Ray, that used magic spells around here. I mean, because I just KNOW the Titans would've informed me if there was another spellcaster involved, RIGHT?!"

"Hey, I just MET you," Best Boy said defensively, holding up his hands. "And before that, I was a prisoner! All I saw was the back of Terra's hand!" His face clouded for a moment, as if trying to remember something, but then it cleared. "So someone else just came along and lifted the spell?"

"Yeah, since it wouldn't have worn off by itself. And whoever did it was probably really good, too. I don't even think Ray could've taken it off."

"So if the spell made him big, why is he still big?" Beast Boy asked.

"In theory, as soon as he wakes up, he'll have a reserve growth spurt and be about the size of a big watermelon again." Jade leaned down to examine Wildy's paw, but in that moment, something sharp closed around her throat.

"Don't move," said a voice in her ear. "You, I don't know."

Beast Boy's eyes widened as he took in the slimmer, smaller, all-white version of someone he knew all too well (and had little desire to know, period). "Dude! I thought you were trapped in Raven's mirror! And you were red last time! And giant!"

"I am my father's son," Sylvan said with some regret, "but be thankful I am not my father. You must be Raven's friend. But this one, I do not know." He moved his face closer to Jade's and sniffed. At once, he released her and backed away. "I apologize," he said simply, before vanishing into the shadows.

"Who the heck was THAT?!" Jade cried, rubbing her throat carefully.

"Uh…I think he was Raven's…brother?" Beast Boy said slowly. "I guess he was protecting Wildy, but after he smelled you…" He paused and looked at her. "What, did you eat garlic for lunch?"

Jade frowned. "It was a mung bean wrap, thank you very much. But I don't think that's what made him back off." She blinked a few times. "Although it wouldn't be the first time that eating that stuff has saved me from baddies with sensitive noses."

"So what could he have smelled that-" Beast Boy stopped and took a step toward her, sniffing loudly.

"WHAT?!" Jade shouted indignantly.

"I'm trying to pick up your scent. I still don't see what spooked him."

"Does it matter?!"

"I think so. What if he's got friends that need convincing, too?"

"Okay, you have a point. But if you don't smell anything, that gets us nowhere."

The two stared at each other for several minutes.

"Hey," Beast Boy said after a moment. "I just had a wild idea."

"Oh, joy," Jade muttered.

"No, really! I saw this movie once where vampires marked their prey."

"And this has WHAT to do with me?! I mean, I've fought a few vamps, but I never got bitten!"

"Just hear me out! They would leave a certain kind of bite mark, so that other vampires would know not to mess with them."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Again, what does this-"

"When I asked Starfire who you were," Beast Boy interrupted, "she said you were Raven's friend. But she paused right before 'friend,' which makes me think that maybe you're not exactly Raven's friend."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, maybe you're more than a friend," Beast Boy concluded with a certain gleam in his eye. "I know it's a personal question, but have you ever kissed Raven?"

Jade froze as she stared at him. After several seconds, she finally answered, "Maybe."

Beast Boy smirked. "Has she ever kissed you?"

"Is there a point to this?!"

"Yeah, there is. Did you give each other hickeys?"

"You are TWO seconds away from some major dragon breath, buddy!"

"I'm serious!"

Jade scowled at him. "There was the one time…"

Beast Boy shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want the details just now. Hickeys, yes or no?"

"…yeah."

"Did it hurt? More than you expected it to, I mean?"

"Depends. I expected pinpricks. It felt more like multiple stab wounds."

"And that didn't strike you as odd?!"

"Hello! Why do you think we only did it once?!" Jade shouted.

"So maybe Raven was marking you as hers," Beast Boy concluded.

Jade shook her head. "The scar healed. Eventually."

"But maybe it left a mark only people like Raven can see. You know, people with…four eyes."

"Why would she do that? She ditched me right after."

"Well, I'm guessing you didn't smile at her right after."

Jade looked away. "I was kinda busy shouting. And, um, bleeding. And it probably didn't help that I'd given her some sake right before."

"So let me get this straight. You got Raven drunk and then made a pass at her?"

"Can you honestly see her kissing anyone while she was sober?"

"No, but then I always imagined her kissing me." At Jade's glance, he quickly added, "I mean a guy like me."

"Right. So assuming there is a mark, what does it mean?"

"'This mine, back off.'"

"Funny."

"I'm assuming she only bit you once, so it's not like it'd be a whole paragraph's worth!"

Jade fingered her shoulder thoughtfully. "I guess I should thank her. You stay with Wildy while I go do that."

Beast Boy sighed and sat down next to Wildy as Jade ran off. "Man, I'm glad you're not a girl, Wildy. Turns out I understood them even less than I thought I did…"

* * *

Next Chapter: Fade to Crimson

Oh, will the endless body-jumping never end?! (one can only hope) Can Robin & Supergirl survive against the true power of Starfire? (probably) Will Wildy go back to normal? (maybe) Did Livewire and Static's kiss include any tongue? (almost definitely) Will Jade and Raven get back together? (wouldn't count on it)

What nasty little surprise is Slade literally hiding up his sleeve? (wouldn't you like to know)

Review!

Alan

Am I the only one wondering if Livewire and Cyborg can pull the "Flash Light" trick?

"Cyborg makes a hand" So either one of the ones he's already got gets destroyed then replaced or (barring time constraints) we're talking about something twice Wildy's size with enough firepower to level Metropolis...

Thanks for keeping me on my toes. I guess that's what I get for typing at 4 AM…

I actually never had any intention of Livewire and Cyborg working together that way. (is it me or do you somehow suggest combining something in every fic I do?) But it's an interesting thought.

That hand won't be for Cyborg, he'll just make it. It will definitely have some firepower, though not THAT much. With any luck, you (and everyone else) will be surprised who the hand ends up with.


	14. Fade to Crimson

Notes: Anyone who spots the Adult Swim reference gets a Reducto shrink gun.

Chapter 14: Fade to Crimson

For as long as Joseph Wilson could remember, he had wanted, more than anything, to please his father. This was not an easy thing to do, however. Slade Wilson was a perfectionist, and expected the same from his children. Being more taskmaster than father had already driven Joseph's older brother, Grant, away from them. But Joseph could not and would not abandon his father.

He had done many things he was not proud of, all in the name of staying by his father's side. These things would gradually come back to haunt him later on in life, but for now, he was willing to accept that reality.

Taking over Starfire's body was perhaps one of the more difficult possessions he'd ever pulled off. That had surprised him, since he'd spent a great deal of time interacting with her sister in the same way. Of course, Blackfire had been a willing participant in those exercises, whereas Starfire was constantly struggling to break his hold over her. Joseph was used to battling against emotions like anger and hatred in his hosts.

He was far less experienced at conquering love. For the life of him, Joseph couldn't understand why Starfire's heart continued to overflow with adoration for Robin and Supergirl, even as he forced her to attack them. Supergirl was fighting back, but with obvious reluctance, which was more or less getting her pounded. Robin was mostly dodging as best he could, but occasionally he would strike with a karate chop or a roundhouse kick, more out of instinct than intent, Joseph suspected. They both knew that Robin didn't possess the physical strength to seriously hurt Starfire, and so there was no need to block such hits.

That was no reason not to exploit them, though. So the next time Robin aimed a chop at Starfire's neck, her fingers closed around his wrist and flung him away, sending him hurtling at the wall at breakneck speed.

Joseph watched with mild interest as Supergirl suddenly appeared between Robin and the wall, catching him and absorbing most of the impact. A few whispered words were shared between them, and then they were back on the attack, if you could even call it that. It was obvious they still had reservations about hurting Starfire. Joseph had sensed this when he'd taken over Jade and Livewire, as well, and it didn't surprise him. His father had told him how strong the loyalty between the Titans was.

What did surprise him was when Starfire's fist suddenly plowed into her own stomach, knocking the wind out of them both.

Robin and Supergirl halted at once, trading confused looks.

Joseph had barely recovered from the unexpected blow when he felt the familiar energy flowing up Starfire's arm. Before he could stop her, they both experienced a Starbolt at point blank range. He'd felt worse from Blackfire's hands, but the shock that accompanied Starfire defying his control was keeping him off balance.

"If I cannot stop you from hurting my friends," he heard Starfire's voice say, "then I will stop you!"

"You can stop yourself," he corrected. "I'll just take over one of their bodies next. How long do you think Robin can hold off Supergirl? You and your friends are doomed."

"You do not know my friends. They will find a way to stop us both."

"And how can they do that, when they can't bring themselves to hurt you?"

Though he didn't think she meant them, Starfire's next words sent a chill down their shared spine.

"Then I will find the one who can." With that, Starfire flew into the air and fled, hoping that her friends would not follow.

Robin almost followed, but Supergirl stopped him.

"Don't," she said. "Starfire's fighting to get her body back. I know you want to help, but you'll only give whoever's controlling her an easy target. I say we find Slade and let him know how we feel about being forced to fight our friends."

Robin had no objections.

The two heroes ran out of the room, and for a few moments, there was complete silence.

Then the still, kneeling form of Cyborg let out an odd whirring noise, and a panel slid open in his arm, revealing a glowing red countdown, set to end in thirty minutes.

* * *

Jade was pretty good at making a scene, and she had every intention of doing so when she found Raven.

But one look at Raven's face told her this would not be wise.

Raven had obviously had a very long night, and it was really starting to show. Her breathing was loud and erratic, she had broken out in a cold sweat, and her eyes were narrowed and bloodshot. Static and Livewire had enough sense to keep their distance from her, though this may have been so they could have their own time together.

All the warning signs were there, and Jade knew that something had to be done, before Raven snapped. She carefully approached her friend, making sure that Raven could see her coming.

"Ray, you need to slow down for a bit. You're looking…well, bad."

For a moment, Raven said nothing. Then, she lifted her head and asked weakly, "Got any mung beans on you?"

"…yeah, why?"

"The pain is getting so bad I can't think straight. I figure if I'm tasting mung beans, I'll at least forget about the pain for a while."

"I'd be offended if that wasn't true," Jade muttered, opening a compartment on her belt and tipping a few large, greenish-yellow beans into her hand. "You sure you want to eat these?"

"No," Raven sighed, opening her mouth.

"Okay, it's your taste buds at risk," Jade warned, slipping the beans into Raven's mouth.

Raven closed her eyes as she began to chew with a noticeable frown.

"So Beast Boy says you marked me," Jade added casually.

"That's your fault," Raven replied at once, not bothering to open her eyes. "I told you never to let me get drunk. And that included not getting me drunk yourself in an attempt to get into my pants."

"So, have you marked anyone else?"

"No."

"Then I'm special?"

Raven finally opened her eyes. "You're the only one horny enough to make out with me while I'm drunk. That just makes you brave…and stupid. Oh, and horny."

"Yeah, but that's YOUR fault," Jade pointed out.

"I can't help it if you're attracted to me. It's not like I even own any tight clothing."

"You don't have to, Ray. You're damn sexy just the way you are."

"Stop it. Unless you want these beans all over your shirt."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Say what you want, Ray. But no matter how hard you try not to be, you're a babe."

Raven was instantly on her feet. "Take that BACK!" she snapped.

Jade grinned at her. "Nope, not gonna."

"Uh, excuse me, ladies," Static interrupted before Raven could reply. "I don't know if this is a tender lesbian moment or not, but I think we have a problem." He pointed past them, and both girls turned to look, only to find Starfire stumbling toward them, her eyes half-shut as sweat fell from her face in large drops.

"Starfire?" Jade asked uncertainly. She had only taken a step forward when Raven seized her wrist.

"Stop." Raven's eyes narrowed. "Starfire has an uninvited guest on board. Be ready for anything."

At the sound of her voice, Starfire looked up, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision. "Raven…? Is that you?"

"Yeah. How much control do you have over your body?"

Starfire shook her head. "It comes and goes. You should not get too close. Raven, can you not…force him out?"

"No, Star. Not without hurting you. But if you can force him out, I can make sure he stays out."

"I…I am not sure I can do that…"

"You came this far, didn't you? Now concentrate. Forget whatever he's told you. Think about nothing but getting your body back under your control. Let me worry about everything else."

But Starfire was shaking her head again. "It is too risky," she whispered, sinking to her knees and grabbing her head. "He would only take someone else!"

Raven sighed. "Fine. Then we'll do it the easy way." With that, she walked up to Starfire and knelt in front of her. Gently, she pried Starfire's hands away and cupped her face. "Star, I need you to trust me. Let it all go and relax. Just clear your mind…and look into my eyes."

The invitation was too tempting, just as Raven had known it would be. Starfire's head snapped up at once, her eyes blazing emerald, and a wicked smile on her face.

Raven could clearly see the green, amorphous cloud rushing at her, but she was ready for it this time.

* * *

Joseph couldn't help laughing as he prepared to enter Raven's body. He had locked in on her eyes, and was only inches away from them when he caught an odd twinkle of crimson in the darkness of Raven's hood. His own eyes widened as another pair of eyes became visible in the blackness, eyes so cruel and terrible that he became locked in their gaze, unable to move.

"So you want this body, little one?" a horrible voice chuckled. "I'm afraid it has no vacancies. But maybe we can manage to squeeze you in."

Joseph found himself surrounded by darkness, and by the time he realized it was pulling at him with irresistible force, it was too late to do anything about it.

"No!" he cried, beginning to struggle. "NO! LET ME GO!!!"

There was no response, and amid the darkness, he could now see a mouth, filled with sharp, hungry fangs.

"Don't be in such a rush to leave," the same voice laughed. "At least pop in for a quick bite!"

"NOOO!!!" Joseph screamed, writhing helplessly as the terrible mouth came closer. Soon it was upon him, and to his complete horror, it began to close before he was inside it. At the rate he was being dragged, it would tear him in half. But the harder he fought, the tighter the coils of darkness became.

He had never been more afraid in his life.

Suddenly, pleasing his father no longer mattered.

And that was when the fangs slammed shut on him.

* * *

"He's just a kid," Static whispered in disbelief as they all stared down at the unconscious boy in Starfire's arms.

"A dangerous one," Jade corrected as Raven leaned on her shoulder, exhausted from her efforts. "Personally, I like him better out cold."

"Cover his eyes," Raven murmured, gesturing faintly at the boy. "That's how he…does it…"

"Yoink!" Livewire giggled, snatching off Static's goggles. She held them up over her head, sending a big bolt of electricity straight into them. When she was done, they were smoking slightly, but would effectively blind anyone that didn't have night vision.

"We could've just torn my jacket and put the goggles over the strip!" Static complained as Livewire put the ruined goggles on the boy.

"Oh, right. And what would you drape over my shoulders when I get cold on our date?"

"…you're serious, aren't you?" he asked, giving her a blank look.

"Well, someone has to plan ahead."

"You are unbelievable," Static sighed, shaking his head.

"I like to think of myself as shocking," Livewire said with a wink. "So, kiddies, what's our next move? I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to miss Blondie."

* * *

By the time Beast Boy and Wildy returned to the room where the Titans had fought Cyborg, he found the others had already gone. Cyborg, however, remained, kneeling off to the side.

"Haven't they ever heard of leaving a note?" Beat Boy muttered.

There was no reply: Cyborg seemed to be out of commission, and Wildy had gone back to sleep on Beast Boy's back.

Sighing, Beast Boy started to track down his teammates when he noticed something odd protruding from Cyborg's back. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the counter, which proclaimed there were roughly fifteen minutes before something decidedly bad happened.

"Oh, man! I knew I should've paid more attention when Robin did that bomb-defusing workshop! Okay, don't panic, BB. There's got to be something you can do with this that won't make it explode faster."

He paused, as if waiting for an idea to come for him. And so, a minute later…

"Crap, I need help!" Beast Boy cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Supergirl! There's a BOMB!" And then, he thought as hard as could, _"RAVEN! BOMB!!!"_ He was just trying to recall if Starfire's alien physiology also included some kind of advanced hearing when Cyborg's hand clamped around his wrist. "AAAHHH!!!"

"Hey, BB," Cyborg said with a grin, just before he drove his fist into Beast Boy's face.

* * *

"So on a scale of one to ten, what are our chances of catching this guy?" Supergirl asked.

"Three," Robin replied without missing a beat.

"…and that's with one being the highest, right?"

"No."

"…you'd never make it as a cheerleader, did you know that?"

"You're better dressed for it, anyway."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment, Robin."

"Don't. Just pretend Slade said it, and maybe our chances go up to two."

"And we're sure that Slade has no powers?"

"What we're sure of is that Slade doesn't need any powers. He's dangerous enough."

"But you've beaten him before, right?"

"Technically. But I don't like to put a tic in the win column unless there's an arrest at the end."

"You know, I'm suddenly glad I'm only a reserve Titan. Doesn't sound like you guys have too many victory parties."

"You can have all the fun you want when we find Slade."

"That sounded like a thinly-veiled order for lethal force, Robin."

"No. But after the day I've had, if you have to break his legs to keep him from running, you better save one for me."

"I'll try to—uh oh. Got a problem."

"What?"

"A little green birdy just told me we have a bomb on the premises."

Robin stopped short. "Then one of us has to go back."

"I'm faster," Supergirl offered.

"And I know how Slade thinks," Robin pointed out.

Supergirl shrugged. "Catch you at the after-party, then?"

Robin started to reply, but before he could get his mouth open, Supergirl was already gone.

* * *

Cyborg had only managed to prepare a few systems when his proximity alarm went off. Though he was still running on auxiliary power, he estimated he had enough juice for a few good shots left. That would have to be enough.

He retreated to the nearest exit, hiding in the corridor and taking aim on Beast Boy's unconscious body.

Seconds later, three shadow figures literally rose through the floor without a sound. As one, they opened their arms, revealing the huddled forms of Raven, Jade, and Starfire.

"Thanks, boys," Jade said, sending them away with a mere gesture as she stood up. "Hey, what happened to Beast Boy?"

"Looks like he took another punch," Raven guessed. "Now, where's this bomb he was yelling about?"

"Think I can help you there, Ray," Cyborg said as he stepped out into the open, his sonic cannon trained on her.

Starfire moved her two friends behind her. "He is still under Slade's control!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Star."

"You know, I am SICK of this!" Jade snapped. "If this Slade is so big and bad, why haven't I seen him once tonight?! What kind of coward is he?!"

"Apparently, one that grants the wishes of loudmouthed little girls," said a voice behind her.

Slade stepped out of the shadows, holding up his left arm, which was encased in a gauntlet. "The bomb you were searching for is currently residing in Cyborg's back. This is both the detonator, and the only way to cancel the countdown. You have five minutes to submit yourselves to my service. Otherwise, everything and everyone in this building will be reduced to little more than memories."

"So all of this was just so you could get some hired help?" Jade asked in disbelief. "What, you never heard of a want ad?"

"I've decided I don't like her," Slade stated. "If she speaks again, the bomb goes off."

Raven slapped her hand over Jade's mouth. "Even if he IS bluffing, you're not helping."

"Clock's ticking, ladies," Cyborg reminded them. "Better do some serious groveling in the next four minutes."

"Fight his control, Cyborg!" Starfire pleaded. "What kind of friend would turn you into a bomb?"

Cyborg blinked. "I never said he was my friend. I said he was my boss. And I got no problem blowing up, if that's what he wants."

"So what is this, Slade?" Raven asked. "We call you lord and master, and then beat our friends into submission for you?"

"Nothing so barbaric, Raven," Slade replied, taking a vial out of his pocket. "I trust you remember my nanobots from the last time I used them?"

"How could I forget?"

"Once you've each taken a hearty dose, I'll be much more inclined to trust you. Your friends will be given the same option. If I know them like I think I do, they'll surrender without a fight."

"And if they refuse?"

"Then, you may beat them into submission. Who will be first?"

The vial vanished from his hand, and Supergirl suddenly appeared in front of him. "How about nobody?"

"Ah, Supergirl. I think even you would be wise not to underestimate the genius of my plans."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning this is not your average bomb. Even you might find its impact is greater than you think."

"Yeah? Well, I say you're a rotten liar."

Slade folded his arms behind his back. "I can see a demonstration is in order. Cyborg, if you would be so kind?"

"No prob." Cyborg made a few adjustments to his sonic cannon, and the normally neon blue light darkened to violet.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Supergirl asked. "Maybe if it was green, I might be."

"Oh, I think you'll find that violet is in these days," Slade remarked.

Cyborg's cannon flashed, and violet light coated the entire room.

There was no noticeable effect, at first. But seconds later, Starfire and Supergirl fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Raven fell to her knees, but she seemed to be under notably less stress than the other two.

"Well, this was unforeseen," Slade murmured, walking over to Raven. "It would appear that you are not of this Earth, my dear. Otherwise, this light would have no effect on you. Perhaps I should look into your parentage one day."

"You won't…get away…with this," Raven whispered weakly, gritting her teeth.

"But I already have," Slade said, kneeling to take the vial of nanobots from Supergirl's slack hand. "Feel free to surrender at any time."

"Don't you get any bright ideas, Jade," Cyborg added, nodding at his arm. "Won't even take a second for me to change this back to blue."

Jade scowled at him, then glanced at Raven and slowly put her hands in the air.

* * *

Despite all of Jade's obvious shortcomings, Robin was beginning to see the value in having her on the team (temporarily, at least).

He'd had a feeling that the trail he was following was growing cold. But there was no telling how far he would've followed it, in the wrong direction, no less, if a Shadowkhan hadn't popped up in his path.

As far as he knew, they could not speak, and so that was probably why it grabbed him and melted into the wall.

He imagined Livewire and Static had similar experiences, because they were soon huddled in the same room, along with their own personal Shadowkhan escorts.

Static pointed to his escort. "This one says that Slade has all the others."

"He told you that?" Robin asked doubtfully.

"Either sign language is a LOT older than I thought, or Jade taught them," Static replied with a shrug.

"So what's the plan, Birdman?" Livewire asked.

Robin stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Slade won't kill anyone he can still use. They should be relatively safe, for the moment. But we don't know what the timer on this bomb-"

"Two minutes, three seconds," Livewire interrupted.

Both Robin and Static shot her blank looks.

"Oh, so the shadow ninjas can be helpful, but I can't?! Look, at least part of Cyborg is electric, the bomb's wired to him, and I can pick up the signals. We've got two minutes."

"Assume it's one. Hit anyone that aims at you, but only hard enough to knock them out," Robin went on. "Our main target is Cyborg."

* * *

The lights blinked out, but Slade and Cyborg hardly noticed, thanks to all the violet light his arm was emitting. But when a well-aimed staff slammed into the arm and took out the light, they definitely noticed.

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted, and the in the darkness, the team united behind their leader's call.

Cyborg hadn't had time to repair his night vision, so he was completely unprepared when a combined assault from Static and Livewire knocked him offline again.

The three Shadowkhan only appeared long enough to move the Titans still recovering from the violet light out of the line of fire. Afterwards, they melted back into the walls.

Slade found himself the target of several attacks. Two sets of sharp teeth sunk into his right leg, but before he could shake them loose, what felt like the heel of a boot caught him on the chin, followed by another kick that ended in a loud crack. It took a moment for him to realize that his mask was damaged, but by then, something heavy slammed into his stomach, and what felt like a horn tore through his armor and glanced off his ribs, missing organs but definitely leaving its mark on his side.

A lesser man would've gone down, but Slade was preparing a counterattack—until someone grabbed his left arm. All his attention immediately refocused on the gauntlet, and Slade struck, seeking to protect it at all costs. His closed fist connected with what felt like a shoulder, and there was a feminine grunt as the arms fell away.

But now all the attention seemed to be focused on his arm, And he whipped it around erratically, trying to throw them off. Still, there were far too many glancing hits that shouldn't have connected, and he knew that Raven had to be feeding them mental images of the room, as well as his location in it. Even worse, she was no longer in the room, so there was nothing he could do to stop her, short of detonating the bomb.

It was then that Raven's voice spoke directly into his mind.

_"Stand down, Slade. I have your son, and you don't want to know what I'm thinking about doing to him."_

_"You will do nothing, Raven. You, like the rest of the Titans, are all too predictable."_

_"You've got balls, Slade. But I doubt even you can afford to gamble with your boy's life."_

_"He knows the risks I'm willing to take, Raven. I'm calling your bluff."_

Predictably, Raven cut the connection. Slade wasn't concerned in the least.

Although he, along with everyone else, was a little distracted by the muffled scream that soon followed. Not as much as the Titans were, though, since he knew the voice, and had heard it many times.

But the momentary distraction did give him time to slip out of their midst, and with a few taps on the gauntlet's tiny keyboard, the lights flicked back on.

Beast Boy and Wildy were back up, each with a bit of Slade's suit in their teeth.

Slade noted with an amused chuckle that most of his left sleeve had been slashed away, but the gauntlet remained unmarked. "So close, and yet so far…"

Another scream tore through the air, and no amount of muffling could make it unheard.

"Will you not help your son, Slade?" Starfire asked, close to tears herself.

"You have one minute, Titans."

"HE IS YOUR SON!" Starfire shouted at him.

"He is a soldier," Slade replied calmly. "Prisoners of war are not my priority. Unless they're my prisoners, that is."

"YOU MONSTER!" Starfire screamed, charging a Starbolt.

"Don't even try it. This bomb goes off unless you all surrender. And don't think I won't-"

"Hey, boss man!" a voice shouted. "Need a hand?"

Anything Slade was about to say was lost in a scream as he fell to his knees, writhing in pain.

Starfire was the first to realize what had happened, and her face lit up with joy. "Sister!"

Blackfire stood behind her (former) boss, still casually crushing his gauntleted hand with her own. "Y'know, Slade, I seem to remember us agreeing that you wouldn't actually kill my baby sis. You didn't forget, did you? Maybe this will jog your memory." Her eyes blazed violet as she began to power up.

"NO!" Slade shouted. "Don't, you little fool!"

She chuckled. "You should know that telling me NOT to do something only makes me want to do it more." Her hand pulsed with violet energy.

"NOOO!!!" Slade roared, trying to push her away with his remaining hand.

Blackfire smirked. "Bang."

The smirk faded, however, when sparks began to fly from beneath her hand, and in the next moment, the gauntlet on Slade's arm exploded, sending them both flying.

"SISTER!!!" Starfire screamed as her older sibling crashed to the ground.

Robin was about to give the order to move out, but a pair of strong hands grabbed him, tugging him quickly but silently into the wall.

* * *

Mammoth grunted and winced as he rubbed his back. "Damn, I'm gonna feel that in the morning."

It didn't bother him that he had no idea where he was. His teammates were all out cold around him, so that was reasonably good. There was nothing to do but gather them up and head back to base. With any luck, they wouldn't be kicked out of HIVE for good this time.

He had just started to reach for Gizmo when there was an explosion in the distance.

Mammoth thought the building (or its location, at least) seemed a bit familiar, but then he left the more complicated things to Gizmo and Jinx. With a shrug, he gathered them all up and lumbered off into the night.

* * *

Joseph Wilson had indeed known the risks.

Joey, however, had never really considered the possibility that his father would abandon him so easily.

It hurt. And suddenly he understood why Grant had walked out on them years ago.

Slade Wilson was a monster, and he bred them, too.

But for all those realizations, it wasn't enough to make Joey forget that he still loved the man, despite all the sleepless, tearful nights.

So, as he had been taught to do, strictly in case of emergency, Joey took over his father's body, and got him to safety. It was just as easy as it had been in practice, although he'd never had to practice while missing most of an arm. It was odd and quite painful, but it didn't stop him.

Slade, had he been conscious at the time, might've been proud.

It wouldn't have mattered to Joey. He would continue to work with his father for years. He would never, however, ever challenge the Teen Titans again. At least, not while they had Raven on the roster.

Being a monster was one thing. But in the dark confines of Raven's hood, Joey had learned far too much: how to become a monster, and how to unmake one in the bloodiest way possible. In the end, all the experience had cost him was several nights of peaceful sleep, and the rest of his innocence.

* * *

Late that night, in the control room of Titans Tower, Robin sat in his chair and observed.

Before him, virtually the whole of the Teen Titans (plus a few guests) was displayed on several monitors.

But as he stared at the screens, Robin had never before seen his team in such miserable fragments.

The medlab was absolutely packed.

Supergirl and Starfire had recovered from any short-term negative affects the violet light had had on them. For now, though, all they could do was sit by, with Starfire in tears, and Supergirl rubbing her back in companionable silence.

Cyborg was still on auxiliary power, and probably would be for the rest of the night. Under Robin's orders, he hadn't been allowed in the medlab until all traces of Slade's programming had been purged. It had probably cost them a few precious minutes, but Robin hoped it wouldn't make too big a difference.

Raven was probably in the worst shape of all, but she had insisted on being present, and lending what help her now especially limited healing ability could offer. Robin had never seen her look more exhausted, and he knew that she, if not the entire team, would pay for that down the road.

Jade stood off to the side, staring at each person in turn. She said nothing, but Robin could tell that she hated feeling useless, especially at a time like this. Unfortunately, not even her "healing" talisman power could help.

On another screen, Static sat just outside of the medlab, tapping his foot impatiently. He was tired as well, but had refused to go to bed, just in case Cyborg or something in the medlab needed emergency power. Livewire had been on call as well, but she'd dozed off on his shoulder long ago. Robin couldn't find it in him to be disappointed; she had done her part as well as any Titan could've, and he was grateful to her.

Alone in his room, Beast Boy laid in his bed, but he did not or could not sleep. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling, a dead look in his eyes.

Robin turned his gaze back to the medlab, just in time to see Cyborg move away from the only occupied bed. A gasp rose in his throat, which suddenly became dry, and he was unable to swallow it.

Between Raven's healing and Cyborg's knowledge of "body work," the patch-up had gone surprisingly well. But it was still quite a shock to look at her patient, realize she had given more than anyone else that night, and that they would never be able to repay the debt.

But they would try, and Robin would see to that. They would definitely try.

He turned away from the screen, but as if something were trying to pull him back, his communicator beeped.

"Rob, it's Cyborg."

Robin slowly pressed the call button. "I'm here."

"I think we're done for the night. She's gonna make it. Mostly it was just shock and blood loss. Well, and Raven took care of the burns. But we're still looking at some serious down time."

"I'll set up a room for her," Robin said softly.

"Star wants to do that."

Robin swallowed hard. "That's fine. Whatever she wants. Anything else?"

There was a long pause. "Rob. Did we win today?"

Robin glanced at the screen. "When I figure that out, you'll be the first to know." He let the communicator fall from his hand, and then forced himself to take a long look at the screen.

For ten minutes, he stared at the unmoving form of Blackfire.

For twenty, he stared at her sweaty face.

For an hour, he stared at the space where her right arm should've been. No matter how many times he blinked, the lost arm did not return. Cyborg later told him that there was no trace of it, most likely because it had been vaporized in the explosion. The only real reason to celebrate was that Slade had to have gotten much of the same.

It wasn't a fair trade in Robin's eyes.

He imagined it wouldn't be in Blackfire's when she woke up, either.

* * *

Concluded Next Chapter: Blood is Thick

Robin struggles to keep the team together. Will he be successful, or will someone say goodbye?

Raven has gone beyond her limits, as well as the unwritten rules of the team. Does she still have a place on the team, and does she even want it?

Beast Boy comes to terms with what happened, and makes a hard choice.

Starfire now questions whether she has anything more to give to the team, and now there is here sister's loss to consider.

Cyborg has been compromised again, and swears that it will be the last time.

* * *

* * *


	15. Blood is Thick

Notes: I happened to see "Birthmark" in the midst of this, and oddly enough, it was remarkably similar to a plot bunny I was tossing around, so I may or may not do that one now. But it also helped me finish this one up, strangely enough. Keep in mind that alternate timelines can mean different results to similar events.

This chapter also makes reference to something that happened in "Raven's Reward," so be sure to have read that previously.

Chapter 15: Blood is Thick

Starfire paused outside the medlab, trying her best to put on a brave face. Now that Blackfire was conscious, she would probably be upset about her missing arm.

Well, that was understatement.

Blackfire would be FURIOUS about her missing arm, and that was probably why Cyborg had summoned Starfire. Not to console her sister, but to help hold her down. And while Starfire was hopeful that her sister might be slightly comforted by her presence, she was far more afraid that Blackfire would blame the Titans—and Starfire herself, indirectly—for her lost arm.

But, as Starfire found out when she stepped through the medlab door, sometimes people can surprise you.

"…won't say it again, Blackfire!" Cyborg was shouting. "I am NOT putting a death laser in this thing!"

"C'mon, big guy! You OWE me! I saved all of your butts!"

"…yeah, well, nobody ASKED you to! It's not like you're on our allies list!"

"Face it, tall, dark, and shiny: you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me and my normally non-heroic ways. So shut your trap and GIVE ME MY DEATH LASER!"

"NO WAY!"

Starfire cleared her throat softly. Cyborg looked up at her, relief washing over his face. Blackfire looked only marginally guilty for a moment, and then her face split into an almost blinding grin.

"Starry!" Blackfire cooed happily, startling both Titans. "C'mere and give your big sis a hug!" She reached out with her remaining arm, beckoning her sister closer.

Starfire was starting to wonder if maybe Cyborg had forgotten to mention some severe head trauma in his initial report on Blackfire's condition. Still, she approached her sister and hugged her willingly enough. "How are you, sister?" she asked slowly, the concern in her voice all too obvious.

Blackfire pouted and laid her head on Starfire's arm. "Starry, make mean ol' Cyborg give me a death laser!"

"Oh, that's DIRTY, even for you!" Cyborg protested.

"Why do you need this…death laser?" Starfire asked, earning a shocked look from Cyborg.

Blackfire pretended not to notice his outrage. "See that?" she asked, pointing at a table behind Cyborg.

Starfire peered over Cyborg's shoulder, where she could see what looked like a smaller, thinner (and even feminine) version of Cyborg's right arm. "I see it."

"Cyborg said he'd make me an arm like his," Blackfire explained, "but he won't put a death laser in it!"

"Damn right!" Cyborg snorted. "Because the FIRST thing she'd do is take out Titans Tower for fun! Anyway, even I don't have a death laser!"

"You get a sonic cannon! Why can't I have a sonic cannon!" Blackfire's voice was now approaching the point where it might even be considered a whine.

"I gave you a sonic gun," Cyborg argued. "It's got about half the power and comes out the side."

"That's not ENOUGH!" Blackfire wailed. "Starry, make him give me better weapons!" She tugged insistently on her sister's arm.

"You do not need them," Starfire said at once.

"How can you say that! I can only put out half as many Blackbolts as before! I'm at a disadvantage! You wouldn't leave me virtually defenseless, would you!"

"Of course not. But you are not virtually defenseless, and neither is Titans Tower. You are safer here than you could be anywhere else."

"And how do you know?" Blackfire asked with a frown, sensing she actually might not get her way.

"Because you have me," Starfire said solemnly, squeezing her hand, "and I would never allow anyone to hurt you."

Blackfire blinked a few times. Finally, she settled back into her bed, still looking a bit peeved, but noticeably a lot quieter.

"So, no on the death laser, right?" Cyborg asked for clarification.

Starfire looked at her sister's sour expression and stroked her hair gently. "Maybe just a small laser, of the non-death variety?"

"That'll work," Cyborg relented, "and I could still sleep at night knowing I'd done it." He bent over the arm to make the adjustments.

Blackfire glared up at her sister, but without much of her usual menace. "You were supposed to get me a death laser," she complained.

Starfire smiled a bit and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I am sorry, sister. But if you want, I would be happy to be your personal instrument of death, if it meant keeping you safe."

"That's nowhere near as good," Blackfire muttered, settling firmly into sulk mode.

With a smile, Starfire kissed her sister's forehead. "I will take that as a yes."

* * *

"I want to thank you all for being there for us when we needed you the most," Robin said. "As far as we're concerned, you're all-"

"Honorary Titans?" Livewire interrupted with a frown. She shot Static a look when he nudged her.

"I was going to say reserve Titans," Robin finished, picking up a case with four communicators in it. "You don't have to take them, but we want you to know that we're willing to count on you, should the need arise in the future."

Supergirl shrugged and took one. "I've already got one, but for all I know, the Fortress got wiped out while I was away, or will be next month. Always good to have a spare I can carry on me."

"So I guess Static gets two, right?" Livewire asked after Jade took hers.

"No, one is for you," Robin explained. "Of course, if you two are going to be together…"

Static blushed, and Livewire grinned.

"We'll see," Livewire said after a moment, taking both communicators and handing one to Static.

"Well, gotta fly," Supergirl said. "Raven wants to run some tests on Wildy with the Fortress computers. Jade, don't steal anything too important. Oh, and Raven says you have a year to return all those 'borrowed' talisman powers."

"No promises," Jade replied with a grin.

Supergirl turned to Livewire. "And you. Don't hurt him too bad."

"If anyone could take it, he could," Livewire said confidently.

"Take what, exactly?" Static asked, a bit nervously.

"You'll find out, if you're lucky," Livewire promised, patting his cheek as she waved at Supergirl. "Later, Blondie."

* * *

"So…I really did it?" Beast Boy asked quietly, staring into her eyes.

"You didn't do anything I wouldn't have," Raven replied, releasing his face.

"No offense, Raven, but you did a lot of things last night I didn't think you would have."

She stood up and moved away. "Everyone has bad nights."

"No one has them like you, though."

Raven sighed and closed her eyes. "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"Yeah. Thanks. For trying to protect me. If that's why you did it, I mean."

"I did it because you're my friend, and I know you would've done the same for me."

"Actually…I wouldn't have," Beast Boy murmured, staring at the floor. "I just…I always thought you were so strong, Raven. And it's not that I don't think killing someone wouldn't phase you. It's just that…I think you'd be able to deal and move on. You always do."

"I always had to. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to do what you did. But I'm still glad you were willing to do it for me." Raven bent down and brushed his forehead with a kiss. "You'll get over it, Beast Boy. Even if you're not as strong as me, you're strong enough. You have to be."

"I used to think so. Now, I don't know. What's Wildy going to think of me now? I'm a horrible parent. Parents don't kill people."

"I'm starting to think we're all horrible parents," Raven pointed out. "But that's one thing we can still fix."

"How?"

"Let me worry about that," Raven answered, touching his shoulder. "Get some more rest. You look like…"

"Like I had the night we all had?" Beast Boy supplied.

"…exactly." She ran her hand briefly but affectionately through his hair, then turned and walked out of his room.

Beast Boy sighed and flopped back onto his bed, staring into space. "I want to believe she deserved it. But I can't say that for sure. I can't say anything for sure anymore…"

* * *

There was only a five-second delay in the transmission, but it was enough that Robin knew he'd interrupted something.

"Good evening, young Master-"

"Alfred. It's good to hear your voice, but this is business. Is he?"

"Just a moment, sir."

It was slightly more than that, however, when a deeper, rougher voice spoke. "This isn't a social call."

"Not exactly, no."

"You're going to have to explain that one."

"It's about one of my teammates."

"Raven?"

Robin paused, frowning. "How did you?"

"Who else would you be calling me for advice on?"

"…good point."

"What did she do, exactly?"

"It's complicated. We had some trouble with Slade, and Beast Boy was forced to kill one of his apprentices, in order to save Raven. But…she altered his memory, so that he wouldn't remember it."

"…and your problem with that is what?"

"I know why she did it. I'm not taking issue with that. But it's the fact that she did it, without thinking or asking for permission."

"It seems to me that Raven is one of the least thoughtless people on your team, Robin. She doesn't act without considering the options. I'd say she knew precisely what she was doing."

"Maybe. But she also entered Starfire's mind and accessed her powers."

"Without permission."

"Yes, and she pushed them to the limit-"

"To save who?"

"…well, Starfire."

"Did it work?"

"Yes."

"Did Starfire forgive her?"

"Yes."

"Did you?"

"It doesn't matter. That's twice she's violated the minds of her teammates, and in the same night."

"It sounds like it wasn't a typical night for any of you. What are you more afraid of? That she's losing control, or that she's going to a darker place and liking it?"

"Both. I can't believe that Raven would enjoy manipulating us, but I don't know if she can stop herself, now that she's started."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Only about Beast Boy. She said she'd remove the block to his memory. I believe her."

"So long as you can continue to believe her, Robin. So far, she's only violated your trust when there was a real need for it. Something you've done yourself, if memory serves correctly. The second she does it for no reason, call her on it. She'll either back down or take off. Either way, your team will be safer."

"I don't want to fight her on this. They're her powers, but-"

"It's your minds on the line. Remember what you told me the first time I doubted your wisdom in letting her join."

"…I told you she was our friend."

"And I called you a fool. But as I said then, there's a thin line between them. Don't be the fool that gets killed by a friend, Robin. But that starts by not being the fool that calls an enemy a friend."

If the man had anything more to say, Robin didn't hear it, as he'd cut the connection. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I told myself not to be the fool that made the call. And here I am."

He turned to the window, just in time to see Supergirl and Raven fly past. Both caught his gaze, and Supergirl waved and blew a kiss before soaring into the clouds.

Raven merely stared at him, and Robin stared back, refusing to look away. To his surprise, it was Raven that tore her eyes away first, quicker than he'd expected, and vanished into the clouds as well. Even more surprising was the faint shimmer he'd seen in her eyes, as if she'd been on the brink of tears…

* * *

"I may not be your father," Superman said slowly, "but you, young lady, are definitely grounded."

Supergirl glared up at him. "I think you are my dad. Because only a parent would do this in front of my friends!"

Superman didn't flinch in the slightest as he glanced at Raven. "I am sorry about that. But you need to learn this lesson right away. The instant you found out about…" He trailed off, looking uncertain.

"Wildy," Raven supplied, causing the bundle in her arms to squirm in response.

"…him, you should have told me, or at least someone in the League. There's no excuse for-"

"Okay!" Supergirl interrupted. "I'm sorry, and I've been very, very bad! But my friends needed me! What was I supposed to do, take a message and squeal on them, or keep their butts from getting kicked!"

"Kara, I've told you a thousand times, even we can't save everyone."

"But we always try! That's exactly why you formed the League! So you and a million other heroes could try! But if you won't even keep me on the active roster half the time, I'm not going to sit around here watching your pets every single day! I guarantee you that everyone I've helped is glad I'm not stuck in here all the time! The only thing you can confine me to is this planet, and I'm not going to stop helping people just because I'm grounded! And if you try to stop me, I'll…I'll…I'll punch you in the nose!"

Raven blinked. "Uh oh."

Superman stared at his young cousin with a stony expression. Finally, he shook his head. "At the most, you'd give me a nosebleed and yourself a sprained wrist."

"I'd still do it," Supergirl snapped, raising a fist in what she hoped was a threatening manner.

"I know I'm not your father. But I have every right to worry about you. What if Wildy had been born with Kryponite in his veins?"

"How likely is that?"

"Likely enough," Superman countered. "The point is, you should've had the League scan him."

"We did check him out," Raven added after a moment. "So far, the only real danger was-"

"Turning into a monster and killing people, even if they arguably deserved it?" Superman offered.

"Uh…yeah." Raven blinked. "If my vote counts, Dr. Light DID deserve it."

Superman closed his eyes. "Kara, I just want you to be more careful. That's why you're not on the active roster, and that's why I ask you to stay here sometimes. You're close to invincible, but really, no one is, exactly. Everyone has a weakness, and whether they know it or not, somewhere, there's someone willing to exploit that weakness."

"So if I promise to be more careful, will you not be mad?" Supergirl asked.

"No. You always promise. Then you go and do something even more reckless than the last time."

"Hey, no fair! There was nothing nuclear involved this time and you know it!"

"I've got my doubts on your furry friend there, but he seems harmless enough. For now, anyway."

"Well, can we at least tell you why we brought him back here?"

Superman looked as if he didn't really want to know. "Why?"

"To send him home," Raven said. "It's too dangerous. Well, HE'S too dangerous for us to raise. We thought we could take care of him, but we were wrong. We made a mistake. Now we're trying to fix it."

At that moment, one of the Fortress's robot drones floated over to Superman. "Sir, we have detected what appears to be a large electrical storm headed for this exact location."

Supergirl smacked herself on the forehead. "Of all the times you could've picked to follow me, Les, this was the worst…and you just had to drag Virgil into it, too…"

Superman peered at her with mild alarm. "Les? Please tell me that means you've been broadening your horizons, Kara. Even that would be less trouble compared to who I think you meant."

Raven cleared her throat. "We got a hacker to get Livewire out of prison, now she and Static are sucking face…or dating, as they call it."

Superman closed his eyes for a long moment in an amazing show of restraint, and then slowly opened them. "You didn't happen to give Doomsday my address while you were at it, did you?"

She managed a thin smile. "Of course not. He only wanted your pager, anyway."

* * *

Blackfire stared at the plate as if it were poisonous. "What. Is. This."

"Eggs, a la Beast Boy," Cyborg said without looking up from his own plate.

"…these are NOT eggs," she argued decisively.

"Yeah, that's kinda the point," Cyborg replied. When no one was looking, though, he underhanded her a strip of bacon. "They're egg substitute…or something."

Blackfire ate the bacon as quickly and discreetly as possible. "I'd put money on something."

"I'd take that bet."

She glanced around, noticing that everyone else present was eating. "And you all eat this stuff?"

"Nah. Only BB."

"So why do I have to!"

"Good for healing. BB said."

"Yeah, well, I'll eat it when I see HIM eat it without gagging."

Cyborg glanced at her over his orange juice. "Trust me, you don't wanna see BB eat anything."

Blackfire glared at her plate a moment longer. She then snatched a piece of Starfire's toast and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Who's ready for seconds?" Beast Boy called from the stove.

"I'm still waiting for the real food," Blackfire muttered.

Beast Boy apparently misheard her. "No seconds until you eat what's in front of you!"

"Does the plate count?"

"It should," Cyborg said under his breath. "You put egg substitute on 'em once, the taste never really comes out."

Blackfire made a face. "No wonder you guys fight like you've been poisoned. You should be eating Tamaranean food. That would toughen you up."

"The Pudding of Sadness did not go over so well," Starfire informed her.

"Well, duh! You only eat it when you're feeling horrible enough not to care about the taste! Why didn't you make Porridge of Battle?"

"Oh, no. No more alien food!" Cyborg insisted. "It's bad enough we're stuck with Tofu Night once a week!"

Blackfire rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up. You'd only have to eat it once. The threat of having to eat it again is what makes you a force to be reckoned with."

Cyborg shook his head. "Is there anything on your planet that you don't eat purely to threaten your body?"

"Sorka Berries!" Starfire cried at once with a huge grin.

"…or anything that doesn't make your pets grow enormous?"

Blackfire shrugged. "There's some rocks you could eat. But only if you wanted to grow tusks."

"You know," Cyborg said slowly, the color draining out of his face, "for the first time, I'm looking forward to throwing up tofu this week…"

* * *

"I really don't think this is going to work," Superman said for the third time in a minute.

"Wildy says it should," Raven repeated for the tenth time.

"That's not as reassuring as you probably meant it to be."

Raven sighed. "He's smarter than he looks. And I'd rather not attempt this with any technology he's not familiar with."

"Are you sure he's even familiar with a MotherBox?"

"He says it's what brought him here. I see no reason to doubt him."

"But this one hasn't worked in years. I really just had it here for safekeeping."

"Wildy said he fixed it."

Superman gave her a long stare. "Raven…"

"He FIXED it."

"…explain to me how this will work again."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Fine. The main problem was that the MotherBox needed an alternate power source. That's where Livewire comes in."

"Did I mention how little faith I have in this plan?"

"She's the best power source we have. If we need any more, Static should be able to handle it."

Superman started to protest, but Supergirl reached over and shut his mouth. "Let's just do it already. The more I hear this plan, the more I start to agree with him."

Raven nodded and held out the MotherBox. "Do your thing, Livewire. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't blow anything up."

"Spoilsport," Livewire muttered good-naturedly as she flew into the MotherBox, which instantly lit up and began to pulse with a blue light.

Raven shut her eyes and pointed the MotherBox in front of her, pushing a button and waiting. There was a loud rush of wind, followed by a low humming sound. She hesitantly opened her eyes, only to find a swirling white portal in front of her.

"I don't suppose there's any way to test this, and make sure it's the right dimension?" Superman asked.

"If you've got a ten-foot pole lying around, I wouldn't be opposed," Raven replied. "But I'm not sure how long this will last, and-"

At that moment, a blond woman stuck her head through the portal. "Lobo, if you've been messing with the teleporter again, I'll!" She trailed off upon spotting Superman, and her eyes widened when she noticed Supergirl. "You're not all evil alternate clones, are you? Or robots? Or shape-shifting aliens? Or zombies? Or Bizarros?"

Superman slowly pointed at Wildy, unable to take his eyes off of her. "Is that…yours?"

Her face lit up. "Fuzzykins!" She rushed out of the portal, revealing her entire figure, and leaving no doubt as to who she was.

"I'm going to grow up to look like that?" Supergirl asked in something like disgust. "I like my costume better. Hers looks…exactly like yours, Clark. And look at her hair…"

Superman shook his head. "Kara, honestly. There are bigger things to worry about. Like where she got that…baby from in the first place. Or where YOU got it, I should say."

"So you got my note? In the basket?" the alternate Supergirl asked as she tickled Wildy's feet. "We were afraid some evil person might break in before you guys got back or something. Oh, but he's GROWN! And someone's been polishing his horns! If I'd known you'd be this good to him, I would've brought him here sooner!"

"That's the problem," Raven interrupted while she could still get a word in. "We can't keep him. As it turns out, our world is just as dangerous as yours, if not more."

"Are you sure? He looks pretty healthy to me…"

Raven frowned and poked the alternate Supergirl's forehead. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

A flood of mental images later, the alternate Supergirl took a step back, her eyes round with shock. Almost instinctively, she reached out to take Wildy.

Raven surprised them both by drawing him into her arms a bit. "I'd like to…say goodbye first."

"Oh. Right. Of course." She tilted her head and smiled slightly. "You know, you seem a lot nicer than the Raven I know."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Just an observation. She never held him. Sang to him occasionally, but that was it. Of course, she sang to him in the same language that she cursed Wally with, so maybe that's not a good thing…" Noticing the look on Raven's face, she smiled hesitantly. "I'll just be over there…ooh, looking at my cute former self! Hey, me!" She practically skipped over to Supergirl.

Raven turned away, holding Wildy up to her face. "Look, Wildy. It's time for you to go back home."

He stared at her, obviously confused. "Nana come?"

She shook her head. "Nana stay. Baby goes."

"Nana visit?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't think so, Wildy. You already have a Nana at home."

"Want Nana!" he insisted, tugging at her cloak.

She gently pried his fingers loose. "No, Wildy. I can't go with you. I have to stay here. This is my world. You belong in yours, with your real Nana. Don't you think she misses you?"

He frowned. "No. Called Baby demon spawn."

"…I'm sure she meant it in a good way," Raven said after a moment. "Wildy, I need you to go. You're not safe here. And if I couldn't keep you safe, and something happened to you, do you know what I'd have to do? Do you?"

Wildy stared at her, and then slowly reached up to touch the skin just above her eyes. "Nana…Go Bad?"

"Yes," Raven whispered, closing her eyes. "Nana Go Very, Very Bad."

He drew his hands away rather quickly. "Baby go. For Nana to Stay Good."

"Good boy," Raven replied, squeezing him tightly.

"Nana…miss Baby?" he asked softly, staring into her eyes.

"I already do," she answered, her eyes growing damp. "But you're not a baby anymore. You're big enough and smart enough to start looking after yourself now. Learn to depend on your own strength, before you look to others to protect you. Do you understand?"

He nodded once. "Wildy understand. Wildy always good for Nana."

Raven carefully placed him on the floor. "Go home, Wildy. Go home and be strong."

Wildy reached up for her one last time. "Nana kiss?"

Raven's face flushed. "Why don't you kiss your Nana at home? She sounds like she needs it…or at least deserves it."

He nodded and waved up at her. "Bye bye, Nana." Wildy turned and went to say goodbye to Supergirl.

Raven closed her eyes and was gone in an instant. She had been strong enough to tell him goodbye, but no force in the world could make her watch him go.

* * *

"Shouldn't we wait for Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't think she's going to be back soon enough," Robin replied. "And I distinctly got the impression that she didn't want to be here for this. Maybe she felt like her presence would disturb Terra's spirit?"

"What about me! I'm the one who-"

"I know. But when Terra died, her anger was directed at Raven. She probably had no idea it was you that killed her, or time to realize that she was dying, if what I've heard about Egyptian asp venom is true. At any rate, indirectly, I guess we were closest to her."

"You mean she beat up on us both."

"Call it what you will, Beast Boy. I'm not sure she had any friends."

"She had one," Blackfire said as she walked up. "But that's it."

"Do…either of you want to say anything?" Robin asked.

Blackfire shrugged. "She was nuts. She was gutsy. She had a skull like a rock. But she was my friend, for the short time that we knew each other. Even though I knew she'd probably end up like this, I tried to knock some sense into her every day. Didn't work out too well, obviously. But I'm glad I met her. Now I know why you guys do what you do."

Robin simply pressed a fist into his palm and bowed. "I hope your spirit finds peace, Terra."

Beast Boy slowly walked up to the coffin. "I hate you," he whispered. "For what you did to me, for what you tried to do to Raven, for what you would've done to all my friends, and most of all, for what you made me do to you. I wish there had been another way to stop you, but there wasn't. I ended it quickly, mercifully, even though I knew you wouldn't have chosen the same for us. You didn't deserve what I did to you. I didn't deserve what you did to me. But only one of us has any regrets about that. I'm sorry I killed you. I'm not sorry I stopped you. You can never hurt anyone again, and I'm proud of that. The only thing that shames me is that when it came down to it, my only instinct was the same one you'd had all along: to kill. Both of us were animals, plain and simple. I just had the better bite."

Blackfire watched Beast Boy turn and run back to the Tower. She sighed and glanced at Robin. "Go on in. I'll finish up here."

"You sure?" Robin asked.

"Yeah. She'd be pissed enough if she knew you guys were burying her."

Robin apparently agreed, because he went back inside as well.

Blackfire easily but carefully picked up the coffin and lowered it into the open grave. "So long, Terra. I'll make sure Slade never does this to anyone else. I promise. Even if I have to give up my other arm."

* * *

Raven came to a stop beside the shadow of a tall tree. "You can come out now, Jade. It's time you stopped following me."

"I wasn't following you," Jade snapped as she stepped out of the tree's shadow. "I was trying to keep you from running away again."

"From my team, or from you?"

Jade didn't answer.

"You know what the worst part is, Jade? I know you so well, I don't have to read your mind to know why you're here."

"Then what's your answer, Ray?"

Raven turned away from her. "It hasn't changed from the last time you asked. I can't be with you."

"Can't or won't."

"Both," Raven instantly replied.

"Don't you dare give me the whole 'I can't get close to anyone' speech, Ray. I saw how you were with Wildy. If that wasn't getting close, I don't know what was."

"That's only one of the reasons I sent him home. Just like this is one of the reasons I'm sending you home, Jade. You both had your chances, and you both proved to be liabilities."

"Oh, so now I'm a liability? Funny how you didn't mention that back when you gave me a demon hickey!"

"You know very well that you asked for that. I warned you never to get me drunk, and you ignored my warning. More than that, you betrayed my trust, Jade. I forgave you, but I can't afford to forget it. People like me don't get many second chances, and you don't get second chances with me. Not when our first fight could've been our last one in more ways than one."

"I can take care of myself, Ray."

"But you can't take care of me, Jade, no matter how much you want to. No matter how much I once wanted you to. It's over. If you come after me again, I'll have no choice but to take your memories of us."

Jade's eyes widened in shock, and then disbelief. "You wouldn't dare."

"I wouldn't want to, but to keep us both safe, you know I would."

"That's not fair!" Jade shouted.

"Welcome to my life, Jade. Now say goodbye to it. Please."

Raven waited until she could no longer sense Jade. Then she cleared her head, and let her thoughts focus on a single word.

_"Brother."_

Sylvan appeared a moment later, a dark look on his face. "You called me, Raven?"

"I need to tell you something," Raven answered as she took a few steps toward him.

"I am listening," he said simply.

Raven reached up and pressed her hand to his pale cheek. "I love you," she said quietly.

There was no change in his expression that she could see. "Is that all?" he asked finally.

She closed her eyes. "You know why I called you."

"I do." He took a step back. "Are you certain?"

"No. But let's do it, anyway."

"Very well."

When she finally opened her eyes, she did not see Sylvan before her. All she could see was another Seed of Trigon, one that had the same bloodlust in his eyes as she now did.

As one, they leaped at each other, and then the blood began to flow.

* * *

"So this isn't really a date," Static said, managing to look only slightly disappointed as he stopped a few feet below the window.

"Of course it is," Livewire replied at once. "We're just swinging by to pick up an old friend, that's all."

"Who happens to be in prison."

"Not for long."

"I don't feel good about this."

"Then I'll personally devote myself to making you feel good after we're done."

Static stared at her. "Seriously?"

"Would I lie?"

"I'm not sure if I should answer that."

"Good. Then stay here and look cute while I bust him out."

"Okay, but I'm doing this under protest. And if we get caught-"

"Say I made you do it. They'd believe that. Or say that I had you under an electric spell."

"…what?"

"Shush." Livewire flew up to window and whistled. "Hey, Red! You up?"

"Blue? What are you doing back here?" A red face appeared at the window.

"I came to get you out, Rudy. Let's go!"

"Appreciate the offer, Les, but…I think I'm gonna stay here."

Livewire frowned. "What? Why?"

He shrugged. "They don't treat me bad. Do a few favors for Supes every now and then, and they basically give me what I want. It's easier than trying to go straight out there. Of course, it hasn't been as fun without you. But it looks like you've been having your own fun."

"What can I say? Always had a magnetic personality. You sure you wanna stay here, Rudy? It would only take a minute or two…"

Rudy shook his head. "My mind's made up, Les. This is where I belong. Just like you belong out there, free."

"But I feel bad leaving you here, Rudy. That's why I came back in the first place. You're my best bud!"

"I know. And so long as you come visit every now and then, I always will be. But I can't go with you."

"Oh, alright. But if you ever change your mind…"

He smiled. "I wouldn't let anyone but you bust me out, Blue. Let me talk to your friend before you go."

"Yo, Sparky! Get your butt up here!"

Static joined her at the window. "It's Static, actually." Then he got a good look at the window. "Hey. Aren't you…?"

Rudy smirked. "The Parasite? Yes. Or I was, anyway. Which is why I didn't offer to shake your hand."

"But why'd you want to see me?"

"We don't know each other, but I want you to promise me something, kid."

"Is this something I should be hearing?" Livewire asked.

Rudy glanced at her. "Probably not."

"Hmmph." Livewire dropped out of sight.

Rudy stared at Static. "Promise you'll do whatever it takes to keep her from ending up back here with me."

Static blinked. "What, you want me to make her give up crime? Sounds like a tall order."

"You can do it. She wouldn't still be with you if she didn't value your opinion."

"Actually, she almost never listens to anything I say."

"She still cares what you think. You wouldn't be meeting me if you didn't matter to her."

"I don't know. This was supposed to be a date, and look where we ended up."

Rudy chuckled. "She's like a puppy. She might bite every now and then, but all she really wants is to be by your side. Just don't ever let on that you know that."

"So how do I impress her?"

"Make her a neon sign."

"…you're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah. She loves anything neon."

"Thanks, I guess." Static flew down to where Livewire was waiting.

"You boys done with your man-to-man talk?" she asked.

"Let's go to Vegas," Static said at once.

"Why?" Livewire asked suspiciously.

"I hear it's a great place for first dates."

"I've never heard that."

"You've been drugged in a cell for the last few years. You haven't heard a lot of things." Static held out his hand. "So how about it?"

"I don't know. Can I trust that you won't try to take my virtue?" she asked innocently.

He grinned at her. "I'm more worried about you taking mine."

"When you put it that way, how can I resist?"

"I was hoping you couldn't."

"Good thing you were right," Livewire replied, wrapping her arms around him from behind and brushing her lips against his cheek.

Static jumped slightly. "Hey! Hands where I can see them!"

"What?" she asked with a wicked grin. "I was only keeping my promise to make you feel good."

"Not while I'm flying. NEVER while I'm flying, unless you want to crash into a river."

"Don't you like to live dangerously?"

"I'm with you, aren't I?"

"Hmm. Good point."

* * *

"I hope you know what you're doing, Fuzzykins," Supergirl murmured as she approached Raven's room. "She's in one of her moods again, and I'm not taking one step into that room unless she gives the all-clear. And in case you forgot, she never has."

There was no reply from the furry creature clinging to her back, and Supergirl felt even more alone as she stopped in front of Raven's door. Slowly, she raised a fist to knock.

The door slid open without warning, just before her knuckles could touch it.

Blinking in surprise, Supergirl poked her head into the room. "Um…Raven?"

The only source of light came from the open window, which allowed both moonlight and the cool, night air to spill into the room. Raven was seated on the edge of bed, gazing straight out of the window.

Supergirl decided to get it over with so she could be rejected and then race back to the safety of her own room. "I know you hate being disturbed, but Fuzzykins insisted on seeing you, even when I tried to talk him out of it."

Raven turned her head slightly, but not enough to see anything even remotely near the door. "Sit with me for a moment."

This was such an odd request from Raven that Supergirl at once assumed she'd imagined it. But when Raven finally glanced back at her with something of an impatient look, she hurried over to the bed and sat down beside her teammate.

"I really am sorry about this," Supergirl added after a moment. "Nightwing said you weren't in a good mood, and that we should probably leave you alone, but-"

"Today," Raven whispered suddenly, "is the day I was born."

Supergirl stared at her, uncertain of what to say. Somehow, saying "Happy Birthday" to Raven never even crossed her mind. "I didn't know that."

"Because I did not allow you to, until now. It is not a date I comfortable sharing with others."

"Then…why did you let me in at all? Why would you tell me this?"

Raven drew back her hood. "Because I feel it is time I explained these," she said simply, turning to look at her teammate.

Supergirl's hands flew to her mouth, barely stifling a gasp. "Oh, Raven…your face…"

Raven's eyes closed briefly, but that did little to lessen the effect. Long, brutal slashes marred nearly every inch of her face, like some sort of morbid war paint. "Don't be alarmed. They are old scars."

"But…I've never seen them before…"

"No. They fade, and return only on this night. That is why I prefer to be alone on this day."

"Who…did this to you, Raven? Who hurt you?" Supergirl asked, reaching up to gingerly cup Raven's cheek in her palm.

"Someone who I hurt even more. Someone very dear to me. Someone…long departed from this plane."

"It seems like an awful birthday present, Raven."

"I doubt he knew the significance of the day. It was I who summoned him, not the other way around. We fought…to the death."

"On your birthday?" Supergirl asked in horror.

"My…family has the gift to heal almost any wound. But if scarred by one of our kin, the wounds close and fade…only to return one day out of the year. The day when we are each at our weakest. This my day."

"But…if you were at your weakest, why would you challenge him?"

Raven sighed deeply. "I wanted him to destroy me. I purposely chose the day when I would be at a disadvantage. It did not matter. In my blinding rage, I accessed powers I had no idea I possessed, and wiped him off the face of the earth. My penance is to bear his marks for the rest of my life. It is my way of remembering him."

"Then...do you want to be alone? To pay your respects?"

"No. I have been alone all my life. I think…that is the very last thing I need now."

Supergirl moved closer and drew Raven's head to rest against her shoulder. "I'll stay as long as you want."

"Thank you." Raven closed her eyes, only vaguely aware of the soft, furry head resting beneath her long fingers.

* * *

She ignored the shocked faces, the cries of alarm and concern for her, the pounding footsteps as they rushed to aid her.

She pushed them all away instinctively, and not with her hands.

She slowly and gradually made her way to her room, shutting the door behind her. It dulled their cries only slightly, and the thought was comforting. Still she walked to her closet, her every step pain, her every movement agony. But the power of her mind pushed all the unneeded sensations away, at least for now.

She shifted her weight, and the ruined cloak fell from her body in bloody shreds, leaving her feeling cold and vulnerable. That, too, was pushed from her mind as she brought another cloak out of the closet. The color did not appeal to her any longer, and her first thought was to destroy them all. But her gaze went instead to her arm, and more specifically, to the deep gashes running up it. A thought occurred to her.

She turned and knelt on the floor, spreading the cloak out. With a mere thought, she summoned a shallow hand basin from her desk and set it down before her. Stretching out her arm, she surrounded it in black, and winced as it began to squeeze mercilessly. The faint sound of blood splashing into the basin did not reach her ears; the intense pain had brought on a rush of nausea, and the dizziness threatened to take away her balance for several moments. Finally, she recovered her senses, and noticed at once that not all of the blood was hers. A single tear splashed into the basin after that, and she wiped the rest away before continuing.

Working slowly but efficiently, she proceeded to stain the cloak, occasionally using a spell to permanently bind color to cloth. Her memory also provided a spell that would easily and painlessly reproduce the blood, but she would not use it. Afterwards, she tightly bandaged her wounds, but not for the purpose of feeling. She was far too weak now, but tomorrow, or whenever she next woke, she would make another cloak.

With the finished cloak draped loosely around her, she emerged from her room, not at all surprised to find her friends still waiting for her.

"I'm going to sleep now," she said. "Don't wake me up."

She had only taken one step before she finally collapsed.

* * *

"Hey, guys! Little Miss Coma Patient is finally waking up!" Blackfire shouted.

Raven could think of more welcome ways to regain consciousness, but at the moment, she was more concerned with why her body felt so numb. It was possible she'd needed longer than usual to completely heal her wounds, but she'd still estimated it would be a few days at the most. She was even more surprised when she barely suppressed a yawn, indicating the process wasn't quite complete yet.

But from the way the other Titans (plus Blackfire) were crowding around her bed, it was obvious that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep anytime soon.

Starfire was the first to break the awkward silence. "Are you…well, Raven?"

Raven shook her head slightly. "I've been better. What's with all the worried faces?"

"…you do remember what happened, don't you?" Robin asked.

"Yes. I told you all not to wake me-"

"And then you kinda fell flat on your face," Beast Boy added helpfully.

Raven scowled at him. "And not one of you thought to catch me?"

"It was so sudden," Cyborg pointed out. "One second you were talking, and the next you were on the floor."

"We're missing the big picture here," Robin said. "Raven, this probably isn't the best time, but we could all use some answers. Starting with why you were in such bad shape in the first place."

"Are you sure you want those answers?" Raven asked. "The best way to give them to you would be to show you, not tell you."

Robin glanced at the others, Blackfire in particular. "Anyone have a problem with some mind-linking?"

"Fine by me," Blackfire replied. "I'm always up for a good movie."

"Do we need to hold hands or something?" Beast Boy asked.

"No." Raven closed her eyes. "Not anymore."

Robin was the only one who caught the implications of that statement at first, but each the others soon shared the realization, from the ease with which Raven's mind accessed their own. It became apparent that somewhere along the line, Raven had either gained full control over her telepathy, or had furthered her mastery of it.

The images that flowed into their minds were sharp and clear as crystal. If there had been any vague spots, they would've been the result of Raven censoring that particular memory for whatever reason.

Starfire and Beast Boy were the only other ones that had ever seen Sylvan before, but now they saw him as Raven did with her own eyes. The difference was startling to say the least. To Raven, Sylvan was almost perfectly normal. Granted, she was probably more used to demon half-breeds than other people, but through her sight, Sylvan didn't seem nearly as terrifying.

Raven began the flow at the very moment she'd first learned of Sylvan's existence, and ended it just as their final encounter began.

"Hate it when movies end like that," Blackfire muttered, feeling cheated.

"So all those wounds you had…they came from him?" Robin asked.

"It was nothing I didn't ask for, as you saw," Raven sighed.

"So…who won?" Beast Boy whispered.

"It doesn't matter. I'll never have to fight him again."

"You mean…he's…?" Starfire trailed off, unable to say what she was thinking.

Raven shook her head. "No. Just as close to it as I was, but no. I would've felt it if he had."

Cyborg reached over and lightly flicked her forehead with a finger. "That was a dumb move, Raven. Suppose you had lost?"

"Then I guess I wouldn't be here to flick," Raven replied, clearly annoyed.

"Cyborg has a point," Robin added. "You could've been killed. I'm still amazed that you weren't, based on what I've seen of your brother."

"He's right!" Beast Boy was quick to chime in. "What were you thinking! What if you hadn't won! We'd never have known what happened to you! What would poor Wildy do without his Nana!"

Starfire reached over and took Raven's hand in her own, squeezing it gently. "I would have missed you," she said simply.

Raven looked away. "You don't need to worry about Wildy. I…sent him home."

"…you WHAT!" Beast Boy shouted.

Rather than answer him, Raven quickly offered a shortened version of how she'd found Wildy's world.

"So we don't even get to say goodbye! Who gave you the right, Raven!"

"The less time he spent in this world, the better off we all were. He didn't belong here and all of you know it. He was better off in his own world, with his own version of us. It's not like I banished him to a barren wasteland. I only did what was best for everyone involved, Wildy included. That's what a good parent is supposed to do. I made the decision that none of you could. Believe it or not, it wasn't easy for me to let him go, either. But in the end, even he knew it was best."

Beast Boy scowled at her. "You still should've told us."

Raven shook her head. "I couldn't take the chance that one or more of you might've gotten emotional and tried to stop me."

"She makes a good point," Cyborg cut in before Beast Boy could open his mouth. "Even after what he did to Star, I don't know if I could've let him go."

Blackfire frowned. "And what exactly did he do to Star?"

"It is nothing, sister," Starfire said quickly, avoiding her eyes.

"Uh huh. Right." Blackfire crossed her arms over her chest. "Suddenly I'm inclined to agree with Raven, if you won't even talk about it. You guys obviously couldn't control him, or didn't know how to."

Raven rubbed her forehead. "I think I need more sleep. I thought I just heard Blackfire agree with me."

"We all use some time to regroup," Robin noted. "So we'll continue this later. There are some things we still need to decide."

If Raven noticed the way his eyes didn't leave her, she didn't mention it.

* * *

A week later, Blackfire walked up to Raven's door, only to have it slide open before she could even think of knocking.

"Bet that never gets old for you, huh?"

Raven shrugged slightly. "Is it time?"

"Yeah. They're all waiting for you. Kinda like a firing squad, I have to say."

"In more ways than one," Raven muttered as she followed Blackfire out of the room.

"Hey, don't look so down. If there's one thing I know about heroes, they're predictably loyal. You don't have a thing to worry about."

Raven shook her head. "Everyone isn't like Starfire. Some things aren't so easy to forgive."

"You act liked you ran over a puppy, Ray. Lighten up!"

Raven paused, began to say something, and decided against it.

"What? You got something against light?"

"It's nothing."

"While I'm thinking about it, I like the new duds," Blackfire said, tugging lightly on Raven's red hood.

"Really?" Raven asked, and not without some surprise.

"Yeah. I think red suits you. And, well, not everyone can wear violet." She made a big show of tossing her long, dark hair over her shoulder. "Know what I mean?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "I should've known that any compliment would lead back to you."

"Hey, if you got it, know it and show it!"

"Not that I don't appreciate the attempt to lift my spirits, Blackfire, but I am about to be on trial here."

"Don't look so serious! Look, if they kick you out, we can team up and destroy the Tower. We'll go on a crime spree and wreck everything."

"…if it wasn't for all that wrongdoing and meaningless destruction, I'd say that almost sounded like you wanted to hang out with me."

"I DO want to," Blackfire said firmly. "You're neat, Raven. You wouldn't squeal if I broke something and put it back like nothing happened. I can actually stomach you for more than an hour at a time. And I think you'd make a decent partner, in crime or otherwise. Especially if you were all mad that you'd been kicked off the team. We could come up with a revenge plot, and then they'd be sorry they ever messed with-"

"What about Starfire?" Raven asked.

Blackfire waved away her question. "We could lead her to the dark side. Slowly, but surely."

"You sound so sure of that."

"I'm her big sis, you're her best friend. What choice does she have?"

"I can see you've thought this through."

"Yeah, well, it's been boring, with no one talking to each other for a week. A girl's got to have plans."

"Would you mind terribly not mentioning those plans while I'm being questioned?"

"Oh, sure. But just, um, tweak your nose if you want me to blow the lights and start blasting stuff."

Raven stared at her. "…yeah, I'll keep that in mind…"

* * *

Robin cleared his throat. "Raven, you stand accused of violating the sanctity of the minds of two teammates. How do you plead?"

Raven frowned at him. "Not guilty."

He waited a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Look, I don't like the use of the word 'violate,' okay? It's not like I left them catatonic and foaming at the mouth or anything. Yes, I entered their minds and did things without their permission, but neither was hurt in any way. In fact, I did it to keep them from being seriously hurt."

"Then you are now asked to defend your position in each instance. Instance one: you altered Beast Boy's memory, so that he wouldn't realize that he'd killed Terra."

"Wasn't my intent there obvious? If Beast Boy knew that he'd killed Terra, he WOULD have been catatonic the rest of the night, if not longer. But we needed him, or we would've ended up being killed, or worse. So I blocked the memory until that living nightmare was over. Since then, I've removed the block."

"And you feel justified in having done this without his consent?"

"Of course I don't feel justified. To be honest, I felt and still feel horrible. But it needed to be done."

"Why?"

Raven lowered her voice. "You didn't see what Terra did to him. I thought he'd suffered enough." She lifted her head and stared into Robin's eyes. "And if he hadn't killed her for that, then I would've."

"Are you saying Terra deserved to die?"

"No. But I'm saying she would've ended up dead that night, one way or another. Some things are just inevitable, Robin." She waited for him to agree or disagree, but he did neither.

"Instance two: you removed Starfire's self-imposed limits on her powers."

"If I hadn't, she and Wildy would both be dead."

"How?"

Raven glared at him. "Don't you dare, Robin. Don't you dare stand there and imply that if Starfire was killed, you wouldn't rest until whoever had done it was dead and buried."

Robin's face remained remarkably impassive.

"LIAR!" Raven shouted, leaping out her chair.

Cyborg grabbed her and gently forced her back into the chair. "Easy, Ray. He didn't say anything."

"What I'd be willing to do isn't the issue," Robin said quietly. "It's what you did that is."

"What did I do, Robin? Save the lives and sanity of my—our friends? Tell me what's wrong with that!"

"If you were any other telepath, it might not matter. But it is you, so it does. You need to be in control, Raven. And if you had been, I don't think you would've-"

"This ISN'T about control!" Raven snapped. "I didn't do those things because I WASN'T in control! They weren't accidents or things I'll ever regret! I did them on purpose, knowing exactly what I was doing! I was in FULL CONTROL! If I hadn't been, something would've gone wrong. Nothing did."

Robin sighed. "We will now have statements from the witnesses."

Beast Boy slowly stood up. "Raven did exactly what she said she did to me. And maybe it wasn't right, but…I can't be mad at her, or hold it against her. She was trying to protect me the best way she knew how. Only a real friend would do that." He sat down quickly, a slight flush in his cheeks.

Starfire stood up. "At first, I was shocked that Raven seemed to have so little respect for the privacy of my mind and body. But then I realized what she had done, and why she had done it. She saved my life because she cares for me, just as she cares for all of us. It may not have been the most honorable means, but I know her intent was pure. I cannot find fault with her for that."

Cyborg stood up. "Before I say anything about Raven, I need to know something. Rob, am I gonna be on trial next?"

Robin stared at him for a few seconds. "No."

"Why not!"

Obviously surprised by that outburst, Robin hesitated before answering. "Why would you-"

"Did you forget how I was turned against you! I hurt you all way more than Raven did! And nobody's gonna mention that! I should be up there defending myself, not her!"

"Cyborg, you had no choice-"

"Neither did she, Rob," Cyborg interrupted. "You know how Slade is. You know how he forces us to think and act. It's them or us, man. And frankly, I'm glad it was us this time. Raven shouldn't be on trial and you know it. If she's gone, then I'm going with her. You're not right for this and you know it, Rob."

Robin had that impassive look on his face again. "Are you done?"

Cyborg glared at him. "Now that you mention it, no." He marched defiantly over to Raven and wrapped his big arms around her, much to her pride and shame. "I still believe in you, Ray," he said softly in her ear. "You're good people, and a great friend. One night can't change that."

"Cyborg…" Raven whispered, her eyes growing damp.

Cyborg let her go and returned to his seat, shooting one last angry look at Robin on the way.

Robin was about to proceed, but Blackfire suddenly stood up. "You have something to add?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I do, Bird Boy," Blackfire snapped. "Ray rocks, and you suck." She sat down, turning her nose up at him.

Robin shook his head before turning back to Raven. "Please don't think me unfeeling, Raven. I understand perfectly why you did what you did. As your friend, I don't have a problem with any of it. But I'm not just your friend." He gestured to the other Titans. "I'm their friend, too, and the leader of this team. That makes me even more responsible for the collective safety and security of this team."

"So it's nothing you would've ordered me to do," Raven supplied. "I get that, Robin."

"I don't think you do, really." Robin moved closer, until he was directly in front of her. "I trust you, Raven, to protect them. I would never have given you that badge if I didn't. But that night, you made me doubt that trust, if only for two instances. I still do trust you, Raven. But only part of you, apparently."

"…what does that mean?" Raven asked softly.

Robin carefully reached over and took a bit of her cloak between his fingers. "I trust the blue you, Raven. But I can't trust the red one. Not when it comes to the team. Still, whether you've…evolved or regressed into this red you, it is still you, if only part of you. And because it's you, Raven—my friend, I have no choice but to give it my love, respect…and gradually, my trust." He lowered his head. "I just hope I'm making the right decision in allowing you to stay."

"Robin…" Raven stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. "You won't ever regret this. I promise."

His arms slid around her waist, tightening painfully, but only for a second or two. "See that I don't, Raven. Please." With that, he pulled away and moved quickly to the other side of the room.

Raven thought about going after him, but then she was tackled by Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy. They lifted her up on Cyborg's broad shoulders and began to chant her name victoriously. "RA-VEN! RA-VEN! RA-VEN!"

Blackfire went to stand beside Robin and lightly punched his shoulder. "I still don't like the way you did this. So you still suck. But not as hard."

Robin didn't look up. "…thanks."

"You can thank me by handing me one of those fancy round walkie-talkies," she replied, sounding bored as she held out her hand.

"You…want to be a Titan?" Robin asked, perhaps a bit louder than he intended.

The victory chant stopped, and Raven slid from Cyborg's shoulders.

"Of course not!" Blackfire snapped, sensing everyone's eyes on her. "But I need to stay in shape and work the kinks out of this new arm while I'm slooowly recovering, and I daresay you guys won't run into some more trouble you can't handle. So if you get in a tight spot, you'll be able to call me to save you again."

"I guess that could work," Robin said slowly.

"But I thought you hated Tofu Night?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh yeah! THAT's my ONLY condition!" Blackfire was quick to added. "I'll eat only plain-flavored chips and cheese dip on Tofu Night, but that's as far as it goes!"

Starfire zipped over and latched onto her sister's neck. "You will stay in my room!"

Blackfire rolled her eyes. "You DO remember that concept we discussed, Starry? Personal space?"

"Do not be silly, sister!" Starfire replied, her eyes shining with joy. "There is no such thing between sisters like us!"

"…is it too late to rework that contract-"

"Sorry." Robin slapped a communicator into her hand. "You're a reserve Titan now. Which means you're bunk buddies."

"Aw, man! I take it back, Robin! You TOTALLY still suck hard!"

Cyborg grabbed Blackfire and threw her onto his shoulder, starting up another chant. "B-FIRE! B-FIRE! B-FIRE!"

"And plain chips!" Blackfire cried.

"PLAIN CHIPS! PLAIN CHIPS! PLAIN CHIPS!"

"Hey, wait!" Beast Boy shouted. "It's still Tofu Night, right!"

He was instantly shouted down. "CHIPS NIGHT! CHIPS NIGHT! CHIPS NIGHT!"

"And real eggs!" Cyborg added.

"REAL EGGS! REAL EGGS! REAL EGGS!"

"HEY! You can't eat something I've been!" Beast Boy hollered. "It's the rule!"

"Man, you've been DINOSAURS," Cyborg pointed out. "The rule don't always apply. Anyway, you've never actually BEEN an egg, dude."

"…um…I've been stuff that comes out of one!"

"Face it, BB. Chips Night FOREVER, baby!"

"NOOO!"

"CHIPS NIGHT! CHIPS NIGHT! CHIPS NIGHT!"

* * *

Sylvan wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep. All he did know, upon waking up, was that someone had been redecorating.

His mindscape had always resembled a forest. His mother had instilled a love of nature in him from the moment he was born. It was where he was most comfortable, and felt secure, at least temporarily. The shadows of trees provided perfect sleeping spots, and the scent of grass had a way of making all of his troubles seem so far away. The illusions were not quite as good as the actual forest, but all things considered, it was a remarkable likeness, and at least there, he would not be disturbed.

So he was a bit surprised to find a warm, soft hand nestled comfortably within his clawed one. He stared at their joined hands, his cheek resting against the grass, until she finally spoke.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," Raven whispered, her eyes still closed. "You had me scared."

"Are you overestimating your own power, or underestimating mine, Seedling?" he asked hoarsely.

"Just stating a fact. I was worried about you." She gently traced circles in his palm. "I've never done that before, even if you have."

"I should hope not. It is nothing anyone should see more than once."

"You meant 'could see,' didn't you?"

He managed a smirk, despite his weariness. "I wonder."

She opened her eyes. "Aren't you going to ask how I got here?"

"I have theories, but I'm much too comfortable to explore any of them, so maybe you should just tell me."

"I think, when we fought, our minds joined. So far, the connection seems to be permanent. I was just straightening some things out in my own mindscape, went a bit farther than I intended, and here you were."

"That seems awfully coincidental."

"Maybe. But if you've got a better explanation, I'd love to hear it."

Sylvan slowly sat up. Though Raven didn't stir, he felt her eyes taking in each and every move he made. It was an odd sensation, being watched and knowing at the same time that he was in no danger at all.

"I trust you got the answer to your burning question?" she asked.

His silence was answer enough.

"So now what do we do? It's clear that neither of us is ready for…him."

"We do what we have always done," Sylvan replied. "We grow stronger."

"Together, or apart?" Raven asked.

He closed his eyes. "Our minds may be together now, Raven, but that changes little. I was not with you during the years in which you developed your powers. I should not be with you when you further them. Go back to your friends."

"In a minute." Raven grabbed his arm as he tried to rise. "I meant what I said before we fought, Sylvan."

"I'm aware of that."

"Then you should also be aware of the fact that I'm not going to let you slip away so easily this time. So long as our minds are linked, you are GOING to talk to me. Even if I have to hunt you down every time I feel like chatting, I'll do it. To be honest, I'd rather go searching through your mindscape than mine, so it's no trouble at all."

He glanced back at her. "You never give up, do you?"

Raven shook her head. "Not that I can recall. I think it's a job requirement."

Sylvan sighed. "Fine. You win. I will be…in touch, I suppose. I can promise no more than that."

"You don't have to. That's all I want." She squeezed his arm. "I know this must be weird for you, Sylvan. But I've been alone my whole life, and now I'm not. I don't want to go back to feeling alone again. I don't think you do, either."

He placed his hand over hers. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up, Raven. I fear I've long forgotten what it means to be a family. I don't want to disappoint you."

Raven smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "All you have to do is answer when I call, Sylvan. And you haven't let me down so far."

He thought about protesting, about telling her that she shouldn't depend on him for even that. But when Sylvan looked down into Raven's face, at her simple, content expression, he could not bring himself to say anything that might've made it disappear. "As you wish, Seedling," he murmured, allowing her hand to slip into his again.

"Great. Now, show me how you did that thing with your arm. You know, where the spikes came out?"

He found himself talking for the next few hours, comparing battle techniques, swapping life stories, and even trading healing spells. When Raven finally got around to admitting that she needed some sleep, Sylvan was feeling much better himself, thanks in part to some of her spells, but he had a feeling her presence had helped more than anything else she had given him.

"You'll be okay by yourself?" Raven asked as she stood up to leave.

Sylvan just looked at her.

"Right. Almost forgot who I was talking to." She gave him a peck on the cheek and hugged his neck briefly. "Sleep well, Sylvan."

He watched her walk until she reached the border between their minds. She paused there and turned to wave at him. Sylvan found himself waving back without really thinking. Then she stepped between two crumbling pillars and was gone.

He was prepared to take a long nap when a pair of pink-gloved hands clapped over his eyes.

"Guess who!" a playful voice giggled.

At a complete loss, Sylvan pulled the hands away and looked over his shoulder. "…Raven?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes and no!" she replied with a sunny smile. "She sent me to keep you company, big bro! So let's have some fun!"

It only took him a moment to recognize that this was only one aspect of Raven's personality. The others were probably still wandering her mindscape. He would've preferred another one, though.

"I do not want to have fun. I need to sleep."

"You can sleep later! Let's play a game!"

He was about to repeat that he wasn't in the mood when a green-cloaked Raven appeared next to them. He foolishly hoped that this one would be able to silence the other.

"I know a game we could play," the green one said with a wicked grin.

"Really? Cool!" the pink one cheered. "What should we play?"

"Saturday Night Slam Fest." With that, the green one grabbed the pink one and slammed her headfirst into the tree.

Sylvan watched in slight amusement as the pink one collapsed, still laughing dizzily. "I think I'm going to like you."

"I doubt it. We're fighting for the title. No holds barred!"

By the time he realized what she meant, she'd already slammed her knee into his gut. Sylvan doubled over and hit the ground rolling. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe Raven had never really gotten over being beat up by him that first time they'd met. And as the green one's foot rushed down to meet his face, Sylvan figured that this would definitely make them even.

* * *

Endnotes: I made the decision not to reveal the winner of Raven and Sylvan's bloodbath a long time ago, and I'm amazed I stuck with it. There's evidence for either of them coming out on top, though probably more for Raven than Sylvan. You can decide for yourself who won, and then we'll all be happy, right?

(just cuz it's Valentine's, I tried to put a kiss in every scene, but it didn't really work out…)


End file.
